Wake Me Up
by Lcm824
Summary: Doccubus. -Takes place a little after 'Vexed', (season 1)- As Bo and Lauren attempt to rebuild their friendship and understand their feelings for eachother, things become even more complicated (I know, it seems impossible, ha!) Warning: some Bo/Dyson to start out (nothing graphic, let's pretend the 'mating-for-life stuff' never happened) and possible Valkyrie-tendencies.
1. Chapter 1

Bo

My eyes opened slowly. It was still dark in the room, so obviously I'd only gotten around three hours of sleep. The clock read 5am. Make that two...

I stretched and turned, hoping to drift off again. I pressed into the warm, hard body next to me and sighed, trying to relax my mind. It had been this way for a few weeks now. I was lucky to get more than an hour of sleep before being awoken by the dream. Just a dream. Not a nightmare.

Sometimes I remembered what it was about, but it would slip away within seconds of waking. All I remembered was the warmth and safety and then waking up strangely empty.

The body next to me stirred and groaned, "You can't sleep again." It was a statement that Dyson murmured into his pillow without opening his eyes.

"Go back to sleep, I'm fine," I whispered, running my hand over his stubbly cheek. He was exhausted, I knew, because of me. Since I hadn't been sleeping, I'd been taking more chi from him without meaning to. The deprivation was taking its toll on me as well as him.

Dyson grunted as I got out of bed and headed downstairs. I'd never really liked coffee before, but now it had become somewhat of a lifeline for me. I prepared the machine then walked over to the couch to find a passed out Kenzi. Shaking my head, I walked back to the kitchen and slumped onto a stool, holding my head in my hands. It was time to ask Trick for help. He always knew what to do."

I was at the Dal by 8am, waiting for Trick to come back from his study. He said he had some herbs to put into a tea that would make me sleep without dreaming.

My mind still couldn't grasp the dream, only feelings. Even if it was a good dream, which it seemed to be, the not remembering and the residual emptiness weren't worth it.

"This," the old Fae began, "is a recipe for dreamless sleep created to prevent one's consciousness from entering Limbo during sleep. And certain Fae have the ability to manipulate dreams; this is a safeguard against that," he explained, then added gently, "Its also a good sleeping aid for anyone with nightmares."

I looked at the ingredients he'd placed before me and shook my head. "I don't think it's a nightmare though. At least, it doesn't feel like it." It was frustrating not being able to explain.

Trick touched my arm and said, "Whatever it is, Bo, its making you weak. We can't have that."

I looked at him and realized what he was saying. "If someone was going to manipulate my dreams to weaken me, why would they put pleasant dreams instead of nightmares." It didn't make sense, and I could tell Trick was also perplexed by it.

"Maybe its nothing, maybe its not," he said vaguely.

"Maybe I'm reading too much into this," I sighed, "I'm just so tired."

Trick nodded and looked over to Kenzi who was playing pool across the room. "Kenzi, will you drive Bo home?"

The younger girl looked up and nodded, "Of course. Come on, Bo-Bo." She trotted over and grabbed my hand. Trick handed me the bag of ingredients.

"Call me when you've gotten some rest," he smiled warmly.

I returned it, "Will do. Thanks, Trick."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Lauren

"I'll need to see her, it could just be insomnia, stress, repression... who knows. But I'm not jumping to conclusions without examining her first," I told Trick as we stood in his den. He'd called the Ash and said Dyson and Hale needed my help on a case, however, it was Bo who needed help.

He sighed and walked over to his desk. "I know it seems as though I am overreacting, and I probably am, but we cannot take any risks with a possible war coming. I need to know that this isn't Fae related."

I looked over his shoulder at the book that lay open on his desk. "When can I see her?"

"I sent her home to rest this morning," he glanced at the clock, "she should be awake by now. I'll get Hale to drive you over."

I froze. I hadn't been to Bo's house since the night I was ordered to go by the Ash.

"Uh, well, maybe we can call her to come here, that way you can be present for it. Maybe you'd know something to look for that I wouldn't and-"

"I don't want her driving. The tea I gave her may leave her drowsy. Besides, I know you can handle a simple examination, Lauren."

My mouth was still open from my interrupted rambling. Trick gave me a questioning look and I tried to compose myself. "Right. I'll go with Hale."

Dyson answered the door when Hale knocked. Of course he did, he lives here now, I guess. I shook the resentment from my features as he welcomed Hale inside then gave me a once over, being his territorial wolf self. I stared back and slipped into professional mode. "Trick sent me to examine Bo. Said she was having trouble sleeping."

He smirked and I cringed inwardly, knowing what he was thinking. "Yes, well, she's in bed right now, but I'll get her for you."

I nodded sharply and walked in, setting my kit on the counter as Dyson left the room.

This was a bad, bad idea. Its probably nothing, and now I was trapped in this excruciatingly uncomfortable situation wishing, for once, that I wasn't the only doctor around.

Dyson came back downstairs, "She says to go up there. She's feeling dizzy from the tea." He walked past me to the fridge and got Hale and himself a beer. Yup, right at home.

I steeled myself and walked slowly up the stairs. I hadn't been alone with Bo since the night everything went wrong. My muscles were painfully tense as I entered her room.

She was laying on her bed in shorts and a tank top. She gave me a tentative smile which I'm sure matched my own. "So Trick must really be worried, huh? He set up a house call and everything," said with a shake of her head.

"I'm sure its nothing, Bo." I walked over and stood awkwardly by the bed, my heart pounding as flashbacks of what had happened here played in my mind.

She sat up and moved to the edge of the bed and patted the spot next to her, "Sit down."

I sat slowly, leaving a foot and a half of space between us, then focused on my kit. "So, Trick said you can't sleep because of bad dreams," I asked professionally while I checked her heart rate and blood pressure, not failing to notice how they rose whenever our skin came into contact. I couldn't get my hopes up though. Bo was a Succubus, and when I was around her she'd told me my aura was brighter. I knew that and it made me feel extremely vulnerable. There was no way for me to tell how she really felt.

"I don't know," she began, then hesitated as if not knowing how to explain. As I looked back at her, she seemed to have gone off somewhere in her head, yet her eyes stayed on mine.

"Bo?" I reached up to touch her cheek without thinking. As soon as my fingertips made contact with her skin, her eyes flashed blue and she jumped back, breathing heavily.


	3. Chapter 3

Bo

It was just like waking up from the dream. I don't know what happened when Lauren touched me. It was like a jolt that went straight through my body. Not painful, just electric.

I tried to gather myself. It was when I was staring into her eyes, something like deja vu. Well, I guess it could've been that we'd made love in this bed, but something in my gut- my instincts- told me it was something more.

"Bo, what just happened?" Lauren asked, fear showing clearly on her face. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

I swallowed, shaking, and looked back at her. "I... I don't know," I clenched my fists and took a few deep breaths. "I don't know what that was."

Lauren studied me closely. I could see the concentration on her face and knew she didn't understand either. "Just calm down," she said softly, reaching out to touch my arm.

I quickly stood up and started pacing, which was a bad idea. The tea had made me dizzy, on top of what just happened. My head spun and I doubled over. Lauren grabbed me and guided me back to the bed. "Sit down," she ordered and then she crawled on the bed behind me and wrapped her arms around me, squeezing firmly. "You're having a panic attack," she explained, her voice low and calm. Soothing. "Just keep breathing, alright?"

I nodded, unable to speak. We stayed like that for what seemed like hours as I tried to regain control.

"You okay, now?" She whispered, her breath soft and warm against my neck.

I closed my eyes and nodded, "Yea, I think so."

She released her hold and I felt the emptiness, just like after awakening from my elusive dream. Without her arms around me, the warmth and safety disappeared once more.

Lauren

I sat staring at a glass of wine, staring at the blood tests I had done on Bo, unsure what to make of what happened earlier. I had taken blood from her after she'd relaxed, then I left.

The only thing I could do was run tests and tomorrow I would bring her to the lab for scans. The blood results were normal, as were her vitals. It must be anxiety and stress, or at least I hoped it was. But Trick's worry was starting to rub off on me. Something wasn't right.

Bo

I waited in Lauren's office while she looked over the multiple scans she'd done on my head a few days before.

"Have you been... feeding... regularly?" She asked from behind her desk, not looking up at me.

"Yes," I told her, "from Dyson."

She nodded slowly, still not looking up. "All these results are normal. Has the tea been working?"

"I haven't had the dream. I've been sleeping fine and the dizziness is gone."

"Okay, so, I'm thinking its just anxiety. Maybe something has stressed you out and your mind is trying to work through it subconsciously." She shuffled around the papers and then stood up. "For now, continue taking the tea before sleeping. If it stops working, let me know."

"But what about what happened the other day?" I asked, wondering why she still hadn't brought it up.

Finally, she raised her eyes to mine, slowly, and I could see the pain in them. "I think that was maybe... well I can't be sure," she looked as though she didn't know how to answer, or maybe didn't want to. "Bo, I... I hurt you," she whispered, eventually, and lowered her eyes.

I swallowed and nodded, looking down at my hands. We hadn't talked about the betrayal face to face yet. Aside from the messages Lauren had left and I'd refused to listen to, the subject hadn't been brought up. As I thought about that night my chest tightened. "Yes, you did, Lauren. You really did," I answered in a low voice.

"I know," she began, "I know you think it was a lie but-"

"What does this have to do with anything," I cut her off sharply, unable to hide the pain in my voice.

Her eyes stayed on mine with a defeated look, "I think it was the instinct of the Fae part of you. It... it's protecting you... from me."


	4. Chapter 4

Two weeks later

Bo

I sat at the bar of the Dal, Kenzi next to me doing shots of God knows what, as I sipped a beer. Dyson and Hale were playing pool and Trick was chatting with a few older Fae at the end of the bar.

The dream hadn't come back so everything was okay; everything was normal.

"Bo-Bo," Kenzi lifted her shot to me, "Cheers! "

I smiled and clinked my bottle to her glass before taking a swig. When I set down my beer Lauren was next to me. After the talk in her office a few weeks back, we'd seen eachother several times for check-ups. The relationship was becoming a tentative friendship, but I was with Dyson so it was a little awkward, yet I wasn't as upset over what had happened. I still didn't know if I could trust the blonde, though.

"Hey," I greeted her and she smiled softly.

"How are you?" She asked before ordering a beer.

"Not sleep deprived, so that's good, right?"

She nodded and took a drink, "I was wondering if I could talk to you about something."

I shrugged, "Is it medical related?"

"How'd you guess?" She answered, laughing softly.

I smiled back. I hadn't seen the doctor so relaxed in a while. "Just a feeling. Talk away, Doc."

"I wanted to know if I could maybe do another scan, when you have a chance."

I gave her a confused look. "Is something wrong? Did you find anything?"

"No, no," she answered quickly, "Nothing's wrong. Call it... curiosity. And you shouldn't have to continue drinking that tea for the rest of your life."

I nodded, "What did you have in mind?"

As Lauren started speaking in medical terms I couldn't begin to understand, I found myself focussing on her lips. Then my eyes lowered to the bit of cleavage exposed by her blouse. I felt a weird tingling in my head. That deja vu-ish feeling I'd had weeks before when we were alone in my room.

"Bo?" Lauren leaned forward a little more and the blouse opened slightly revealing more skin.

My mouth went dry and and an intense hunger took over me, my eyes glowing. I snapped out of it, breathless.

"I- I'm sorry," I rasped, jumping up and heading towards the bathroom.

I leaned over the sink, looking at my bright blue eyes and then turned on the faucet, bending to splash cold water on my face.

When I straightened up again, I saw Lauren's reflection. She was standing behind me, concern evident on her face.

"Bo? What's wrong?" She asked, fearfully.

I turned around, my heart racing and stared into her eyes for a moment before closing the two feet between us, my lips crashing into hers and pushing her back against the wall.

She let out a surprised gasp before lacing her fingers though my hair and pulling me into her.

My hands were all over her. One groping her breast through her clothes, the other snaking under her shirt. I raked my fingernails down her soft stomach and she moaned into my mouth, pressing her hips into mine as I reached the button of her jeans. I undid it easily and quickly slipped my hand into her underwear, diving into her.

"Bo," she panted against my lips, "We can't-"

"You're so wet," I whispered into her ear as my fingers slid against her clit.

"Oh... God.." Her eyes closed as her body trembled. "Bo... you have... to... stop," her breath hitched as her hips involuntarily pushed down on my fingers.

"I can't stop thinking about you," I told her. "I need you to touch me, Lauren, " I breathed against her lips, "Please... I want to come with you."

The blonde whimpered, on the verge of her own climax, and complied, slipping her hand into my pants and immediately pressing her fingers into me. A jolt went through my entire body and I knew she felt it too. I crushed my lips to hers, stifling our moans, and held her up as her knees gave out.

Lauren

My head rested on Bo's shoulder as I tried to catch my breath, regain the strength to hold myself up on my own. I'd never come so hard in my life. I don't know what just happened, my head was still spinning, my whole body still shaking.

She held me tightly to her, her breathing as erratic as mine. It was at least five minutes before she pulled away, her eyes searching my face. I stared back, unable to speak.

The sharp knock startled us both back into reality. "Bo?" Dyson's voice sounded through the door. "Are you okay in there?"

"Uh, yea, I- I'm fine," she called back. "I'll be out in a minute."

"Alright," he answered and I heard him walk away from the door.

Her eyes turned back to mine and I could clearly see the panic on her face. "I'm sorry," she whispered, backing away from me.

"Bo, wait."

She stopped, "Lauren, I-"

"He'll be able to smell you," I explained, looking down.

"Right. I've got to..." she hesitated.

"I'll tell Kenzi to meet you at home. You should go... take a shower or something." I ran my hands through my hair, not knowing how to handle this situation right now.

She nodded, distractedly, and quickly exited the room.

I sank down against the wall and buried my face in my hands. What the hell just happened?


	5. Chapter 5

Bo

"You smell different," Dyson said as we lay in bed together. I felt a lump rise in my throat.

"What- what do you mean?" I asked quickly, not looking at him.

I'd showered for at least a half hour, using as much shampoo and body wash as possible. I even stole some of Kenzi's perfume and lotion.

He leaned in and began kissing , "You smell like... lavender ... and cherries."

"Oh, yeah, Kenzi ... she let me borrow some perfume," I lied.

"I like it," his lips moved up to capture mine. I kissed him back and put my hands on his shoulders. It felt forced. The guilt was also potent in my gut. I pushed him away.

"I don't think I can tonight," I said, looking up at him. "I'm really tired. I'm sorry."

"Wow, being turned down by a Succubus three times in one week." He smiled, "Should I be worried?"

I forced a smile and replied, " Of course not."

He nodded and lay down, wrapping his arms around me.

He'd fallen asleep in minutes and I still lay awake two hours later. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. Obviously, I was attracted to Lauren, but after her betrayal I didn't think I'd ever feel the same for her emotionally. Tonight it was as if those emotions returned tenfold.

If I was honest with myself I would admit that it wasn't just tonight. Ever since she'd come to examine me the first time, her touch had reawakened my desire for her. I had thought I was done with her, but I'd just been pushing back all my emotions, occupying myself in a relationship with Dyson.

I'd found myself wishing that it was Lauren instead of Dyson every time we had sex. Everytime I'd seen her over the passed few weeks for routine check-ups I had looked forward to them, anticipating just seeing the doctor, making her smile or laugh or even just hearing her voice.

As I tried to close my eyes and will myself to sleep, my mind kept replaying the scene earlier at the Dal. Lauren pinned against the wall, panting, biting her lip, her face and neck flushed. And the fact that pleasuring her had gotten me so turned on that all it took was a touch from her before I came.

It was wrong, what I did. I knew that, but I lost the control I'd had for the past few weeks. I lost control and I couldn't blame it on the fact that I am a Succubus. I didn't feed from her.

Lauren

I hadn't gotten any sleep. The cultures under the microscope were blurring and focussing on anything but Bo was impossible. I stepped away from the table and rubbed my eyes, trying to stay awake, then jumped when my phone started to ring.

"Hello?" I answered, groggily.

"Lauren, I'm sorry, I didn't know who else to call," Bo's voice was frantic through the phone.

I instantly snapped out of my daze, "Bo, calm down. What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's Dyson, he won't wake up. Please, can you come here? Like, now? I don't know what to do."

"I'll be right there. Try to get a hold of Hale and Trick." I told her as I put on my jacket and grabbed my kit. "I'm on my way."

When I arrived at Bo's, Hale was already there. Bo was pacing but looked up and ran over to me.

"Thank God, you're here," she grabbed my hand and pulled me upstairs to her room where Dyson lay on her bed. I couldn't help the twinge of pain in my chest as I observed the scene. I pushed my feelings away and went over to kneel by the bed. His pulse was slow, but at least he had one.

I lifted his eyelids to check his pupils only to find his eyes were completely black. "Shit," I muttered under my breath.

"What? Lauren, what is it?" Bo pleaded from behind me.

"Call Trick, right now," I ordered her, "And get Hale up here. We need to get Dyson to the Dal as soon as possible."


	6. Chapter 6

So this a short update, but I'm pretty tired and I'm typing this on my phone. Thank you for the reviews and ill be posting more tomorrow... or later today I guess haha.

Lauren

"Jesus, Wolf Man is friggin' heavy," Kenzi complained and stretched her back. "Someone needs to lay off the Scooby snacks..."

We'd gotten Dyson to the Dal and he was now laid on the couch in Trick's den. The older Fae and I stood in the corner while Bo, Hale, and Kenzi stood watching over the unconscious shifter.

"This isn't good," Trick said, solemnly. "If its what I'm thinking... it's really not good."

"A Somnivar, " I stated, knowing that we'd both come to the same conclusion. "It would explain Bo's dreams."

"But since I gave her the tea," Trick shook his head, a conflicted look on his face. "It must've taken over Dyson, instead."

"So he's in Limbo? Why didn't the Somnivar take Bo when it had the chance? Why did it just manipulate her dreams?"

"I have no idea."

Just then Bo came over, "I swear, it wasn't me. I didn't even feed off of him last night." She glanced at me then looked away. "I haven't fed from him in over a week."

"This isn't your fault, Bo-"

"You haven't been feeding?" I cut Trick off. "Bo, you have to feed, you can't starve yourself."

Her eyes were downcast, "I haven't been feeding off of Dyson. I have fed, though."

I looked at her, confused, but she didn't seem to want to elaborate. I felt a sort of relief, however. Last night hadn't been about her hunger. At least I hoped.

"Bo," Trick said, "We know what's wrong, well, we think we do. We believe Dyson is in Limbo."

Bo searched both our faces then asked, "What does that mean?"

I looked at her, regretfully, seeing the pain in her eyes. It hurt to see her in any pain, even if it was over Dyson. "It means he is stuck on a different plane with none of his Fae abilities." I paused and ran a hand through my hair, "If we don't do something soon, we might not be able to bring him back."

Her eyes started to glisten and she looked down at Trick, who confirmed what I said with a sad nod.

"We have to do something," her voice was resolute as she blinked back tears. "Trick, you have to know what to do."

The shorter Fae looked up at her, "I'll try to find something in the books." Then he turned to me, "You need to get him to the compound and put him on life support to buy us time."

Bo

Dyson lay in Lauren's lab hooked up to so many tubes. I was scared, but I was feeling incredibly dazed. It didn't feel real.

Then I felt it. I could feel Lauren come up behind me, I knew it was her before she rested a hand on my shoulder.

"We'll fix this, Bo. It'll be okay," she spoke softly and I snapped out of my daze.

I turned around and shook my head, "No! No, Lauren, everything is not going to be okay."

She looked taken aback, "Bo-"

"Don't," I said, my voice breaking, "Dyson is lying in a coma because of me. I should be out of my mind with worry, because I love him," I gestured to the shifter, then continued, "But all I want to do is kiss you right now. And I shouldn't, Lauren, I shouldn't." I felt the tears started to fall down my face, "I should hate you for what you did to me, but I can't. I tried... so hard... but I still want you." I took a deep breath, trying to calm my pounding heart. "I care so much about Dyson, but I was going to break up with him today because, somehow, I've fallen for you, Lauren. And it wouldn't be fair to him if I stayed with him. But he didn't wake up," my head shaking in disbelief, i repeated, "He didn't wake up." I walked past the silent blonde and out of the lab.


	7. Chapter 7

Lauren

I had been standing outside of Bo's house for almost an hour, trying to get up the nerve to knock on her door. What she'd told me earlier in the lab had left me dumbstruck, unable to move, to speak. Unable to stop her from storming out.

Everything happened so fast.

I knew I had to talk to Bo. I had to finally tell her the truth. To make her hear me out. I just hoped she'd believe me.

The door opened suddenly and I stepped back. It was Kenzi.

"What's up, Doc?" She gave me a suspicious look. "Is Dyson okay?"

"He's the same. Still stable."

She nodded, slowly, "Did Trick find anything yet?"

I shook my head, "Not that I know of."

"Okay," she drew out the word, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "So why are you here?"

"I wanted to see Bo."

Kenzi lifted her chin, "Ah, I see." She continued to stare at me then said, "She's upstairs moping over Wolf man. She won't talk to me, but I guess you can try." She walked past me, "I'm off to the Dal. Later, Doc."

I nodded and stepped into the house. As I walked up the stairs, I tried to gather my thoughts.

I found Bo sitting on her bed, her back against the headboard and her legs pulled up into her, her forehead resting on her knees.

"Kenz, I told you I don't want to talk about it," she said without looking up.

"It's not Kenzi," I spoke softly and she raised her head. There were tears running down her face, her make up was ruined.

She shook her head, "Lauren, this really isn't the time."

I let out a humorless laugh, "It never is with us, is it, Bo? Bad timing is our thing." I walked a few feet closer. "You don't need to talk. In fact, I'd rather you didn't. I just want you to listen to me and then... then I'll leave you alone."

She looked away but didn't say anything so I took it as a sign of compliance.

"I wasn't sent here to sleep with you that night," I began, "The Ash... he knew I had been helping you control your hunger, he knew about the shots. And he knew I cared about you. When he told me about the Mesmer, about how powerful Vex was..." I trailed off, hesitating over my next words. "You're so new to the Fae world, and I know you're not weak, you just need more experience. Your abilities have the potential to be great. But you weren't ready to go up against someone so powerful yet." She still hadn't looked up. "I didn't come here that night to sleep with you, that was never my intention. I just wanted to distract you, to keep you here, to keep you safe."

I dared to crawl onto the bed and reached up, tilting Bo's chin so I could look her in the eyes. "I couldn't lose you, Bo. And what happened between us that night was real for me."

I could feel the tears run down my cheeks as I used my thumbs to wipe away the tears running down Bo's.

"I have to go back to the lab," I whispered, removing my hands and getting off the bed.

"Lauren, wait," Bo finally spoke up. "You look exhausted. When's the last time you slept?"

I swallowed and rubbed the tears from my eyes, "I couldn't sleep last night. But I really can't sleep yet. Dyson might not have that much time and Trick and I-"

"Just lay with me," she slid down on the bed, "only for an hour or two... please?"

I felt the stress of the last two days hit me and nodded, getting into bed next to her. She wrapped her arm around me and as I drifted off she whispered, "It was real for me, too."

Bo

Lauren's unfamiliar ringtone woke me up. She was still sound asleep. It had only been about an hour since we had drifted off.

I reached into her pocket and extracted her phone gently, not wanting to wake her just yet. The screen said Trick was calling.

"Hello? Trick, it's Bo," I answered quietly, getting off the bed.

"Bo? Where's Lauren?"

"She's just getting some rest. Is there any news?"

I heard him sigh, "We might have found something. I'll need you and Lauren to meet me at the lab."

"Alright, we'll be right there," I told him and closed Lauren's phone. I walked back over to the bed, reluctant to wake the sleeping woman. She looked so beautifully relaxed.

I sat on the bed and brushed a few strands of hair from her face.

"Lauren," I said softly and gently shook her shoulder, "We have to go. Trick called."

The doctor didn't stir. I shook her shoulder a little harder, "Come on, we gotta go."

When she still didn't wake up, I began to panic. "Lauren! Wake up," I yelled as I shook her harder. "No! No, no, no! Fuck! Lauren, wake up, please!" I cried out.

I checked her pulse and felt the soft rhythm. Then I reached up to check her eyes, praying to God they weren't like Dyson's. But they were. They were completely black.

It felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest, I couldn't breathe. I knew I was having a panic attack. It made me remember how Lauren had held me when I had one before. I cried harder, putting my hands on either side of her face and leaning down to rest my forehead against hers.

"Please..." I choked out between sobs, "Please, don't leave me..."

Lauren

I awoke to howling. There was a wolf across the strange room, chained to the wall. I pushed myself up.

"Great!" A voice came from the other side of the room. "They sent the bloody Ash's pet to save us. A useless human. That's just brilliant!" It was Vex, the Mesmer. He had his hands chained behind his back.

I looked at the wolf, "Dyson?"

The animal bowed its head. "I'm in Limbo?" I whispered out loud. But then I realized Dyson was in wolf form, which meant he still had his Fae abilities.

"Don't bother trying to talk to him, love. He can't change back. Been trying for two days. It's pretty fucking annoying," Vex said and the wolf growled low in his throat. "Hey mate, its not my fault we're stuck here."

"Who's fault is it? And can you use your powers?"

Vex shrugged, "How about you get these sodding chains off me and we'll see before the bastard comes back, eh?"

I made to walk over and try to free Dyson first.

"Dr. Lewis," an unfamiliar voice sounded behind me, and I slowly turned around. "We meet at last."


	8. Chapter 8

Lauren

"Who are you?" I asked the man before me. I could literally feel the power radiating from him, see the slight glow eminating from his bronze skin.

"Who I am doesn't matter," he answered, walking towards me. His eyes were a deep blue and his hair pitch black. He looked to be in his forties, but I knew this was a very old, very powerful Fae.

Dyson growled behind me as the man came closer. I stepped back, "What- what is this? Why are we here?"

He looked pensive, studying my face, "I'm not going to hurt you, doctor. I just need you to answer a simple question for me."

I swallowed the lump in my throat knowing this Fae was everything but harmless. "What's the question," I couldn't stop my voice from shaking.

The Fae tilted his head then looked between Dyson and Vex. "Who do you think would win? The Shifter or the Mesmer?"

"Excuse me?" I shook my head. "You mean to pit them against eachother?"

"I did not say that." The man walked back towards the other side of the room and turned. "It's a hypothetical question. Which do you believe is more powerful?"

I was thrown by the question and afraid of where this was going. I thought about it as the Fae watched me closely.

"Honestly," I began, "I think the Mesmer would win."

"Damn straight, I would," Vex quipped from behind me and Dyson growled. I gave the wolf an apolegetic look then turned back to the glowing Fae.

He nodded solemnly and raised a hand towards Vex.

Wisps of red and black energy immediately started being sucked out of the Mesmer's chest. I looked on, horrified as Vex screamed, his knees buckling. He hit the floor, writhing in pain.

"What are you doing," I cried out.

The Fae didn't stop until Vex lie motionless on the ground. I couldn't tell if the Mesmer was still alive.

He then turned to me and Dyson, raising his other hand towards us, "Please, don't do this," I pleaded before stepping in front of Dyson.

I saw the lightning extend from the Fae's hand, felt it collide into my chest. I was sent flying across the room as every nerve in my body burned with excrutiating pain. I hit the wall and everything went black.

Bo

I sat in between Lauren's and Dyson's beds. I stared at the monitors, my mind blank.

"Bo," Trick said, "we need to do a ritual, but it's going to take time."

I nodded, absently. "What do you need me to do?"

"You're in shock, Bo. Hale and I are going to handle it, but you can't be in here right now."

I turned to him, "I'm not leaving her... them..." I corrected myself. "This is my fault."

"No, it's not." Trick sighed, "You can stay in the room." He walked away and Kenzi came over.

"Come on, Bo, we're gonna sit right over there," she pointed to two chairs across the lab. She guided me over and sat me down, holding my hand in hers. "Trick and Hale, they've got this down. You'll see. Wolf man and Dr. Hot Pants will be fighting over you again in no time."

I gave her a weak smile and rested my head on her shoulder.

Trick and Hale had everything set up in under an hour. Hale came over and knelt in front of me, "We're going to do this one at a time, starting with Dyson because he's been out longer. It may take a while so don't get all worked up if he doesn't come back right away, alright?"

"Alright," I breathed and he nodded, getting up and walking back over to Trick. They had recruited two of the Fae lab techs to help with the ritual while the others stood by in case they were needed.

I watched as they chanted around Dyson and bit my knuckles in anticipation.

I prayed, begged and pleaded for ten minutes.

Then I saw Lauren's body arch violently up off the bed as she started to seizure. Dyson awoke with a roar as the lab techs gathered and hurried about. I had tried to run to Lauren but Kenzi and Hale were holding me back.

"Bo! Calm down, you have to let them do their job."

I didn't know I was screaming as I saw the monitor flatline.

"She's been electrocuted," Dyson yelled, jumping out of his bed and ripping tubes from his body. "You really think shocking her again will bring her back," he asked, gesturing to the paddles.

Trick finally spoke up, "Yes, actually, it might." He nodded to the waiting lab tech, "Do it."

Lauren

I opened my eyes slowly, the static buzzing in my head caused my vision to blur. When I could finally see clearly, I tried to move. I could barely raise my head.

The Fae was knelt down in front of me.

"What- what did you do to me? Am I dead?" My words came out slurred. The electric shock must've left my faculties disoriented.

"You were," he said, "for a little while."

"Where's Dyson?"

"Ah, the wolf that got away..." he whispered and chuckled, "He's back in his own body, I presume. I was done with him, anyway."

"What did you do to me?" I asked again and he smiled.

"Believe it or not, doctor, I am one of the good guys," he said softly. "I gave you a new life. A second chance... Don't fuck it up."

I shook my head, "I don't understand."

"You will," he answered putting his hand over my eyes. Everything went black once more and when I opened my eyes again, I was staring up into the florescent lights of my lab.


	9. Chapter 9

This update is short, but i didnt have a lot of time. Thanks for the reviews! ill have more up tomorrow.

Lauren

I took a deep breath and the air burned in my lungs. I felt stiff as I tried to move my hand. My fingers moved slightly, but there was something holding them down. I tried again and the weight lifted. I heard a sharp intake of breath.

"Oh my God... oh my God. Lauren?" A woman was speaking, her words rushed. "Trick!"

I flinched at the noise and the woman's face came into my field of vision. I couldn't really feel anything but cold and I couldn't speak because my throat and mouth were so dry.

"You were dead," she whispered, tears running down her face.

Soon enough, Trick and Dyson were by my side with a cup of water. Trick put a straw in it and guided it into my open mouth. As I sipped the water I could feel the liquid softening the inside of my throat, easing the burning sensations. When Trick pulled away, I cleared my throat and tried to thank him, but it came out as an unintelligible rasp. I swallowed and took a deep breath.

"It's okay, don't try to speak," the older Fae said. I attempted to nod, but couldn't.

He turned and walked a few feet away and I heard him talking to Dyson and the woman.

"I don't know how this is possible," he said in a low voice. "She was dead for almost an hour. Who knows what kind of mystic power is at work here? Not to mention the fact that she should be brain damaged. She's a human."

"Trick, she's alive," the woman said. I could tell she was still crying, "I don't care how it happened. All that matters is it did."

I was still stuck on what Trick had said. An hour? I'm not brain dead. I feel like I've been hit by a bus, I'm not paralyzed. Then it came back to me. The mysterious Fae had said he'd given me a new life. But why?

Next thing I knew, my lab techs were surrounding me, sticking me with needles and hooking me up to machines.

"Something isn't right about this," I heard Trick say, "We can't be sure that she is still Lauren, Bo."

They must've put a sedative in my IV, because I started to feel so drowsy. As I drifted back off into the darkness, the last thing I remember thinking was, Who is Bo?

Bo

It was me, Kenzi, Dyson, Hale and Trick sitting in the Dal. After Dyson had described everything that had happened in Limbo with Vex and Lauren, we'd been going through books upon books trying to identify the nameless Fae.

Lauren hadn't woken up in the last two days. They'd put her in a coma for whatever reason. Soon, they would start running tests, once they knew her body could handle it.

The door of the Dal opened and two large Fae in black suits walked in, followed by Evony, the Morrigan.

"I've already informed the Ash but I figured your merry little band might want to know, Vex is awake. And he is not happy," she said, looking at us all. "Whatever that thing was seems to have taken his abilities."

Trick spoke first, "That's not possible. No Fae is capable of that."

Ebony looked down at him and raised an eyebrow, "Well, apparently there is, and its taken away the Fae part of Vex. His blood results say he's... human... now."

"That has to be a mistake," Trick said, firmly.

"We can argue about this all day," Dyson cut in, "or we can find out what the hell is going on. This is a threat to both Light and Dark."

"A threat to Light and Dark?" Ebony scoffed and turned towards me, "The only common factor between Vex, Dyson and the doctor is you," she accused, coldly.

Dyson blocked her from me but I put a hand on his arm and pushed him out of the way, "You're right," I told her. "But that doesn't mean we're not all in danger. We need to help eachother right now."

"We've distributed the tea to all of our elders and the Ash," Trick said. "You should do the same."

The Morrigan nodded and then replied, "We'll keep in touch, I suppose." She glared at me for a few seconds then turned and walked out, her henchmen in toe.

"There's something going around and literally sucking the Fae out of people? That's so not cool," Kenzi whispered to me.

"I don't think we're going to find anything in these books," Dyson said. "We should get access to the Ash's archives."

"Me and Dyson will take care of that," Hale looked over to me, "I don't think the Ash will let you or Kenzi step foot in there."

The tavern phone rang and Trick went to answer it.

"Then I guess we'll just stay here and keep looking," Kenzi said as she picked up a new book. She started flipping through the pages, running her finger along the words ands muttering, "Fae sucker, Fae sucker, Fae sucker..."

"We're going to the compound anyway," Trick informed us. "The Ash has ordered that Lauren be woken up."


	10. Chapter 10

Little update... my thumb is starting to cramp from writing this on my phone haha. hope you guys like it and thanks so much for the reviews!

Lauren

I had been awake for fifteen minutes before the Ash walked into my room.

"Dr. Lewis," he greeted and I bowed my head. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm perfectly fine," I answered, "They won't let me get out of bed, though."

"Well, I'm sure it's just precautions. Have they run any tests yet?"

"They took some blood a few minutes ago but nothing else."

He nodded and sat down in a chair near my bed. "What can you tell me about what happened? Do you remember anything?"

"I remember everything," I said, looking down at my hands. I took a deep breath and recounted the entire ordeal in detail. The Ash sat silently and listened without interruption until I had finished.

"What you saw happen to the Mesmer... the Morrigan has informed me that his abilities have been taken away. He is no longer Fae."

I stared at him, not knowing what to say. "I've never heard of such a thing happening."

"Nor have I. You can see how an unidentified being capable of that is... troubling."

"Of course. I can start researching right away-"

He held up a hand and I stopped talking. "Right now we need to make sure you are fit to continue working."

"I feel fine, honestly," I assured him.

"You were brought back to life by this being. What he told you about giving you a new life... it's odd, is it not? He didn't say anything else? He did not explain?"

I shook my head. "He just said I would understand."

The Ash nodded and stood up, "Once we have run the necessary tests and receive the results, we will speak further. Goodbye, Lauren."

I bowed my head once more and he left.

One hour later...

I sat staring at the blood tests, trying to comprehend the results. They still wouldn't let me leave the bed. I needed to recheck these, obviously one of my techs had mixed up the blood samples, even though they assured me they hadn't. This couldn't be right.

"Lauren." It was Trick at the door, "You're awake. How are you?"

"I'm... not sure. I feel okay."

He looked at me, confused, "You are a little pale."

"Being in a coma will do that. I'm sure I'll get more color back once I get up and moving."

Trick nodded, "Do you mind some company?"

"Not at all." I needed a distraction from the results anyway.

Dyson walked in and came over to my bed, shaking his head, "I guess I should thank you, for stepping in front of me. I don't know why you did, I know we haven't always gotten along but I'm glad you're okay... Thank you," he leaned down and gave me a hug, catching me offguard. I awkwardly returned it.

"You're welcome." I didn't know what else to say. I honestly don't know why I did it, either.

He suddenly pulled away and froze, his eyes flashed yellow. He sniffed the air a few times then looked down at me. "You... smell Fae." Dyson turned to Trick, "She's Fae. She smells like Vex."

"I'm not Fae," I cut in, but they were both staring at me now, their expressions perplexed and wary.

"Let me see those," Trick pulled the blood results off my lap. He read them silently for a minute. "He's right," Trick whispered finally. "That Fae must've given you Vex's powers. He turned you into a Mesmer."

I shook my head, "Trick, you know as well as I do that that's impossible. Somebody messed up the samples, it happens a lot. If they'd just let me do it myself, we'd be able to sort this out."

Just then, the woman, Bo, walked in, followed by another younger woman. "Sorry, Kenzi made me stop at the drive-thru. Lauren, you're awake," she said with a smile.

I nodded. Something about her seemed so familiar, yet it was like trying to hold onto a dream; every hint of recognition I tried to grab onto slipped away just as it came to mind.

"Yea," I answered, glad for the interruption. "You're Bo, right?"

Everyone in the room turned and looked at me like I was insane.

"You're kidding, right," her smile faded. Her friend, Kenzi, had what I can only describe as an 'Oh, shit' look on her face.

"I- I'm sorry?" I didn't know what the hell was going on anymore.

Bo's face looked conflicted, "You... you don't remember me?"

"I, uh... you were here... when I woke up," I tried to think of something else to say. She looked so hurt, I didn't know what to do. I searched my mind, unsure how I could forget someone. Of course, I had been electrocuted to death and then brought back to life, but I don't know how I'd be able to forget her. She was beautiful.

"And before that? Before you went into Limbo?" Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears, my chest tightened.

For some reason, seeing her in pain made me feel sick. Especially since I was the cause.

I shook my head, slowly, "I'm sorry... I don't remember..."

Bo nodded and turned to leave.

I reached out towards her, "Wait."

She froze, mid-stride. "I... I can't move. Why the hell can't I move?" She started to panic.

I dropped my hand as Dyson and Trick both turned to me. As soon as my hand went down, Bo could move again.

I looked at my hands as she turned around to look at me. "Shit."


	11. Chapter 11

this was supposed to be part of chapter 10, but like i said, i got a thumb cramp, so here you go.

Bo

"What the hell was that?" I stared at Lauren who was focussed on her hands.

"Are you the one who Fae-sucked Vex," Kenzi asked. "Holy shit, Doc."

"What?" Lauren finally looked up, "I didn't do anything to Vex. I- I don't understand. How is this possible?"

Trick stepped in, "We don't know yet, but we have to summon the Ash. Dyson?"

"I'm on it. Hale's already with him trying to get access to the archives." With that, Dyson left the room.

"Wait," I said, "you're Fae now?"

"I..." Lauren shook her head, her face stricken.

"Trick, if she's Fae, then she's unaligned right now. If she's not human or Light Fae then the Ash has no power over her." I turned to Lauren, "You're free."

Trick nodded, "Technically, you're right, Bo. But that's only if she remains unaligned. You know that's not simple."

"You're unaligned?" Lauren spoke up, "They've allowed that?"

"Not without a lot of bullshit but, yes," I answered.

"The Ash won't let Lauren go that easily," Trick said, "Him and the Morrigan will both be after her. Her skills as a scientist along with being a Mesmer now... It's just not going to be easy."

I walked closer to Lauren, "I know you don't remember me but..." I sighed, still not believing this all was happening, "I know you. I know you want to be free. This is your chance. If you choose to be unaligned, I promise... I will protect you."

She seemed to be thinking it over when Dyson returned with Hale and the Ash. I watched as she bowed her head out of habit and clenched my jaw.

"What's going on, Dr. Lewis," the Ash asked.

"She's Fae," Trick said when Lauren didn't answer right away. "It seems the Fae that took Vex's abilities somehow gave them to Lauren."

The Ash looked to Lauren, "Is this true?"

"I don't know how but, yes," she replied. I could tell she was afraid.

"Show me," the Ash ordered.

Lauren turned to me and I answered the silent question on her face, "It's okay. I trust you."

She swallowed and nodded, raising her hands towards me slowly.

She pushed them out and suddenly my own hands were grabbing my boobs. I lifted an eyebrow and her eyes went wide. "Really, Lauren?"

She dropped her hands and mine dropped, too. I could hear Kenzi, Dyson and Hale trying to stifle their laughter. The doctor's face had turned bright red.

"I- I am so, so sorry," she said quickly. "It's harder to control than I thought."

"I'll say," Kenzi whispered from behind me.

The Ash had remained as still as a statue throughout the whole display with no sign of emotion on his face. I did see the small flicker of a smile that crossed Trick's features but he was quick to hide it again.

"So, this being is not only capable of taking Fae abilities, but also giving life and turning humans into Fae?" The Ash looked down at Trick.

"Like I said, it would seem that way," Trick told him. "Which is why we request access to your archives."

The Ash nodded, "I've given permission to Detectives Hale and Dyson." He turned to Lauren, "Now that you are Fae, Dr. Lewis, you have a choice to make."

I turned to Lauren, willing her to stand up to him. She stared back at me then said to the Ash, "I would like some time to think about all of this before rushing into a decision."

I saw the look of surprise that crossed over the Ash's face before it faded. I smiled inwardly.

"Very well. You have three days." He looked from Lauren to Trick, then to me. "Choose wisely. However, until you've made your decision, you cannot stay here." The Ash exited the room without another word.

"You can stay with me," I volunteered without thinking.

Lauren raised her eyebrows in a look of surprise, "Really? Are you sure?"

I shrugged, "Yea, of course. It's only a few days."


	12. Chapter 12

Lauren

"So here we are," Bo said, "Home, sweet home."

"Also known as The Crack Shack," Kenzi added.

I looked around the dilapidated building. "It's... nice."

Bo smiled, "I know it's not very pretty, but it grows on you."

I nodded as she walked to the couch and sat down, patting the spot beside her. I sat next to her and Kenzi sat on the arm rest.

"Thank you, again," I said, "for letting me stay here."

"You don't have to thank me. Even though you don't remember, we are friends," she spoke with sadness in her voice.

"Amnesia... it can be selective, rarely. What I mean is, I could remember tomorrow or maybe next week," I tried to assure her.

Bo gave me a weak smile. At least it was something.

"I realize it's considered bad manners to ask but, what kind of Fae are you two?" I looked between Kenzi and Bo.

"Well, I'm the human kind," Kenzi answered, "and Bo-Bo here is a Succubus."

"A Succubus? Really?"

Bo nodded, "Yes. You were the one who... diagnosed me, I guess."

"You mean you didn't know before? I've only been working for the Ash for about five years. Didn't your parents tell you?"

"Ah, well, I was adopted and raised by humans. The first time I met you was the day I found out about the Fae."

Kenzi stood up, "I'm hungry. Are you guys hungry? I'll go order a pizza," she said as she walked away.

"How long ago was that?" I didn't understand how Bo could've gone so long without knowing. Succubi have to feed regularly and their hunger and abilities develop during puberty.

"A few months ago," she said. "Before that, well, I had a bunch of... mishaps..." She looked away from me and down at her hands. "I didn't know how to control my hunger, but then... you helped me. You gave me some shots that prevented me from killing humans when I fed."

I raised my eyebrows, "The Ash let me help you? But you aren't Light Fae."

She looked up at me and smiled. "It was a secret."

That's when I realized that this woman in front of me had to have been special to me. It was frustrating that I still couldn't remember her.

Bo reached out and lifted the necklace around my neck, looking at the pendant that marked me as a servant to the Ash. She yanked it off swiftly, then looked me in the eyes. "Whatever you choose, nobody owns you, anymore."

The words echoed in my head, 'Nobody owns you...' Why did they resound through my whole body like that? It was as if I'd heard her say them before; the words made my heart pound as I stared back at her.

"Are you okay," Bo asked, and I snapped out of it.

"Yea... yea, I'm fine." I shook my head and smiled, "There's just been a lot of changes today. I still can't believe all this is happening."

She nodded, "I get it. There's been a lot of change for me, too." There was a far off look in her eyes. "How about we just hang out and watch TV while we wait for the pizza? Sound good?"

"Yea, sounds good."

Bo

Dyson arrived ten minutes after the pizza did.

"Any news?" I asked as he leaned in to greet me with a kiss.

"Not yet. Hale and I have been in the archives most of the day, but there's still a ton of ground to cover. The books and journals go back centuries and most are in dead languages," he explained.

Lauren walked up behind me, "Is there anything I can help with?"

Dyson shrugged, "Until you commit to a side, you can't gain access to the archives. The only other thing we can do is go through Trick's books, but we've gotten through almost all of them and haven't found anything that even remotely relates to what happened."

"I can head over to the Dal now," she said.

I turned to her and put a hand on her upper arm, "You can come with me and Kenzi tomorrow. Tonight, we're staying here."

"She's right," Dyson agreed, "You've been through a lot this past week, you should rest."

Lauren nodded and walked back to the couch where Kenzi was already almost done with her third slice of pizza.

"Bo, I know you have to be starving. You haven't fed in two weeks. We should do something about that," he said softly, putting his hands on my hips. I started to feel sick with guilt again. With everything that had happened the past few days, I'd put off breaking up with him. Dyson believed he was the only one I had been feeding from and the last time we'd had sex had been a little over a week before he'd gone into Limbo.

I forced a smile and tried to think of another excuse. I'd already had to come up with so many. "I would, but I should stay with Lauren. She's overwhelmed and going through a rough time right now. When I found out I was Fae I probably would've skipped town if I hadn't had Kenzi to lean on."

"Come on, we can be quick. And we can try to be quiet. I can't make any promises on the latter, though," he pulled me closer.

I put my hands on his shoulders and pushed back slightly, "Tempting... maybe we can do that tomorrow," I whispered seductively.

Dyson laughed, "Alright, but I'm holding you to that," he backed up towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said before he opened the door and left.

Later that night...

I quietly slipped down the stairs. Kenzi was already sound asleep, but I knew Lauren was on the couch. I tiptoed over and looked down at her. She was also fast asleep.

I had made her and Kenzi both drink the tea with me, so didn't have to worry about losing either of them tonight at least.

As I watched the doctor sleep, my heart ached. I thought back to that night, before she'd been taken to Limbo. I should have told her. I should have told her she was the only one I wanted, and I should've made her drink the tea. There were so many things I should have done.

I knelt by her head and softly kissed her cheek. "You were right," I whispered. "Bad timing really is our thing."

I got up and wiped away the stray tear that had fallen from my eye, careful not to smudge my make up. Silently, I left the house.

When I got to the club, it was packed. Crowded and loud. Just what I needed.

I had been coming here for over two weeks now. The place was called Wired. It was a mostly Fae club that sat on Dark territory, but those rules didn't apply to me.

I walked up to the bar and saw her. Her name was Sam. I don't know what kind of Fae she was. I didn't really know anything about her, just that if I drank enough, she started to look like Lauren.

When she saw me, she smiled and walked over, instantly grabbing a bottle of tequila from the shelf and handing it to me. She knew why I was here.

"Drink up," she said, leaning across the bar. "I'll meet you in thirty."


	13. Chapter 13

hope everyone had a good valentines day! thanks for the reviews too. this chapter wasnt supposed to cut off where it did but I've got to go to class. hopefully ill have the rest up sunday. enjoy and thanks for reading.

Bo

As I felt her Chi enter my body, my head cleared a little. I was still very drunk, having downed about half the bottle of tequila in a half hour.

Sam lived above the club, so the bass beats resounded throughout her apartment and drowned out all other sound.

Her hands gripped the headboard as she arched her back, legs shaking. I grinded against her thigh, my leg pressing my fingers deeper into her with every thrust.

"Fuck!" she cried out as we both came. I stayed where I was as we both rode out the after shocks then collapsed next to her on the bed. I looked over at her, seeing the slight sheen of sweat covering her body and watching as her breasts rose and fell with her erratic breathing. I felt my hunger rising again.

Sam rolled over onto her side and propped her head up with her hand. "You are incredible," she whispered, "I haven't felt anything like that in over a century."

"Don't get laid much, do you," I joked.

She laughed and shook her head, "Sometimes I forget that you are so new to the Fae world."

"What do you mean?"

She traced her fingers lightly down my body. "Do you know what a Cupo is?"

"I'm guessing that's the kind of Fae you are... but other than that, no, I don't know what that is."

"I figured. There aren't many of my kind left," she began softly, "Like you, Bo, we feed off of emotions. You feed off of sexual energy; we feed off of desire, but not just sexual desire. If, say, someone wanted something very badly, like a car or a promotion, we can feed off of that desire, too. Yet, the more we feed from it, the less desire is left in the human or Fae," she explained, then looked me straight in the eyes. "But you are the exception. I've been feeding off of you for a few weeks now and your desire... your want... has only grown."

I swallowed nervously and dodged her gaze, "So you can't take it away?"

She shook her head, "This woman, whoever she is... she has all of you. I can see her, feel her in you whenever I feed. Why would you want that taken away? I can't imagine how it'd feel to want or be wanted like that."

"You don't want to," I told her. "It's... excrutiating."

Sam leaned in and gave me a soft kiss, "Love always is."

A few hours later...

I stumbled into the dark house a little after four in the morning and hit my knee off one of the wooden beams. "Shit," I muttered, bending down to rub the injured spot. I was still a bit drunk since Sam and I had had a few more drinks.

"Bo?" I heard Lauren's voice across the room. I could just barely make out her figure sitting upright on the couch.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," I apologized, walking towards her.

"You didn't. I couldn't sleep," she said and I slumped down next to her on the couch. "Are you okay?"

"Just a little bump, no big," I told her. "What's up? I know the couch doesn't make for the best bed."

"No, it's fine. I just can't seem to shut my mind off." She pulled her legs up and hugged them to her chest. "How was your night?"

I shrugged, "It was alright. I don't... I don't usually do this, you know. I just needed to... let off some steam, I guess."

She nodded. "Does, uh... does Dyson know?"

I was taken aback. I had been referring to the sneaking out and drinking. "I- I didn't..."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to assume anything," she said quickly. "Lack of sleep and not thinking before I speak," Lauren covered her face and shook her head. "I'm sorry. You must think I'm so weird, especially after what happened yesterday with the whole... boob grabbing thing."

I laughed at how flustered the doctor was acting. "Calm down, Lauren," I told her and rested a hand on her upper arm. She looked up at me. "Listen, I actually got a kick out of the whole 'boob-grabbing' thing. I know I'm drunk right now, but seriously, it's okay."

She smiled and rolled her eyes. "It's funny now. But at the time, extremely embarrassing." She shook her head and her smile faded. "How drunk are you?"

I tilted my head, "Well, the room isn't spinning, so that's a good sign. But I'm definitely feeling it. Why?"

"I wanted to ask you something... kind of personal," she said quietly.

I was a little wary of where this was going. "You can ask and I'll answer if I can."

She nodded, wringing her hands. "Okay, um, well... I was wondering and, this may be out of line... I'm just trying to piece together some things... about us." She looked at me and bit her lip. God, I loved when she did that.

"What do you wanna know?"

"How close were we? Because, I don't know how to explain it but, even though I don't really remember, I feel like you meant something to me as more than just a friend." Lauren put her hand back over her face. "If I'm wrong about this, is there anyway we can make things not awkward between us?"

I sat there with my mouth slightly open, not knowing how to answer. Then it hit me. "Oh God, you were awake earlier, weren't you?"

She uncovered her face, but still wouldn't look at me. Finally, she spoke, "Yea... I was. And what you said... Bo, I don't know what happened in Limbo that made me forget you, but I do know that what you said earlier, it made me remember something, I think. I don't know if it actually happened or not. It was so vivid, though."

I swallowed and tried not to get my hopes up. "What did you remember?"


	14. Chapter 14

Lauren

"I've been getting these flashes, but I feel the emotions attached to them." I shook my head, "I don't know if I can explain so I'm just going to try and describe it as best I can." I clenched my eyes shut and focused on trying to bring the memories back. "I remember a bed, with a canopy, and you were sitting there... crying. And I remember being on this couch... and I kissed you... but I can't really remember anything else. Not right now, at least. Except what I felt, what I still feel... I feel drawn to you..." I took a deep breath, trying to ease my nerves. "I can tell you are obviously with Dyson. But when I saw you with him... I don't know... it was painful." I hoped Bo was drunk enough not to remember this later. "Is this all in my head?"

I watched as she opened and closed her mouth a few times. "I need to get some sleep. I think I'm more drunk than I thought," she said and started to stand up. I reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Bo, please... can you just tell me I'm not crazy?"

She leaned down and brushed a lock of hair from my face. "You're not crazy," she whispered before pressing her lips to my forehead. "We'll talk about this tomorrow. Goodnight, Lauren." She left the room and went up the stairs.

I sat there with even more questions racing through my head. I wasn't getting to sleep anytime soon.

The next day, we sat at the Dal and searched through Trick's books. I hadn't gotten more than a half hour of sleep before Bo and Kenzi had woken up.

The words were going in and out of focus as I tried to translate the old Fae texts. I rested my head in my hands as I slowly started to drift off.

"Lauren," Bo said loudly, and my head snapped up.

"I'm up. I'm awake," I assured her groggily and rubbed my hands over my face. "Did you find anything?"

She sighed, "Not yet, but you looked like you were sleeping. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just didn't get a lot of sleep."

She called over to Trick, "Can we get some coffee down here?"

The bar keep looked up and nodded, pushing away the thick book he'd been reading.

Bo turned back to me, "Come with me to the bathroom and splash some cold water on your face. It might help a little."

I covered my mouth as a yawned and got off the bar stool.

When we got to the bathroom, I trudged over to the sink, leaning over it and turning on the cold water. I used my hands to cup the water and bring it to my face several times. It did help somewhat.

Then I rested my hands against either side of the sink and looked into the mirror. Bo stood behind me and as I stared at our reflections, my mind started to flash back.

Bo had been standing where I was and I had been behind her. She had slowly turned around and then... and then...

There were just flashes. I could feel the bathroom wall against my back and Bo's body pressed into mine. I heard it in my head. 'Bo... you have... to... stop,' I had said. And then there was Bo's voice, 'I can't stop thinking about you... I need you to touch me, Lauren... I want to come with you.'

A jolt went through my body as I was brought back to the present. My knees buckled, almost causing me to hit my head off of the sink.

Bo was kneeling by my side in a second. "Lauren? What's going on? Are you okay," she panicked and held my face between her hands.

"You..." I whispered, finally escaping the memory. "You were still with Dyson..."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I remember what happened here. I remember..."

I saw the look of pain on her face when she realized what I was talking about. "Lauren, I- I'm sorry. I lost control... I can't explain right now."

"What do you mean you lost control? You didn't feed from me." I didn't know what to make of any of this.

"Listen, I'm going to take you back to the house so you can rest. I promise, Lauren, we will talk about this."

Bo

Once I had made the tea and Lauren had fallen asleep, I called Dyson.

"Hey," he answered.

"Hi, um, I was wondering what you were up to?"

"I'm actually on my way to the Dal. Hale and I found something."

He sounded excited and happy, which was going to make today even worse. "Really? That's great. I'll meet you there."

"Okay, I'll see you soon," he said before hanging up.

I sat the phone on the counter and bowed my head. No matter what happened, I had to end it with him today. I just had to figure out how. I'd never broken up with someone before. The only real relationship I had had ended with me accidentally killing him the first time we'd had sex. But I had to do it. Not just for me, but for him and Lauren. Now that she was coming back to me, I didn't need anymore obstacles and I wasn't going to waste anymore time. I'd already screwed up; I wasn't going to make the same mistake.

I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and scribbled down a note to Lauren, just in case I wasn't back when she woke up. Grabbing my keys, I headed out the door.

Dyson and Hale were already at the Dal when I got there.

"So what's going on?" I asked.

Trick looked up from the photograph in front of him. "Dyson found this in one of the ancient books. It's in a language I don't recognize but I can tell its from way before my time. It's going to take a while to decipher."

I gave him a confused look, "Then how do you know it's connected?"

Dyson picked up the picture, "There's a drawing of the Fae I saw in Limbo," he said, still not showing me see it. "And the person or Fae beside him, well, take a look." He handed it to me.

I turned it over and gasped, staring at the sketch of the woman, "Is that... that's Lauren."


	15. Chapter 15

Bo

"The resemblance is uncanny," Trick stated, "but we can't be sure."

I was still staring at the photo, "What does this mean?"

"We think it's a prophecy," Dyson said. "We won't know more until Hale and I go back through the archives and get more pictures. We can't take anything out without permission and it would raise suspicion with the Ash."

"I've got to call Lauren." I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone.

"No, Bo." Dyson pulled the phone out of my hand.

I looked up as he shook his head, "What are you doing?"

"Until we figure this out," Trick cut in, "Lauren can't know."

"Why the hell not? She's probably the only one who can help you translate this and I am not keeping this from her," I said firmly.

Trick raised his hands, "Bo, you have to understand. We still don't know if we can trust her, yet. This Fae, whatever he is, brought her back to life for a reason. We won't tell the Ash about this until we know everything. If word about this prophecy gets out, they will come after Lauren and they will imprison her, or worse."

"What if it's a good prophecy? They can't just take her," I said, looking between Dyson and Trick.

Dyson answered first, "It doesn't matter, they'll see Lauren as a threat. We're doing this to protect her."

"Then why can't she know? It's not like she's going to tell anyone," I tried to reason with them. This was ridiculous.

"I don't trust her," Trick deadpanned. "You will not tell her, Bo. It's for the best."

I shook my head, "Lauren is the same person she was before. I know she can be trusted." I grabbed my phone from Dyson and stormed out of the Dal.

Dyson had called six times in the past hour, but I had yet to answer. I was sitting in my car, parked outside of the Crack Shack.

Everything seemed to be falling apart and I didn't know what to do about it. I thought about the picture. I knew it was Lauren. What if something bad was coming? And why the hell did it look like she was that freaky Fae's lover?

Things were going to get out of control soon. Once Lauren made a decision whether to be Light, Dark, or neither, I could lose her. If this Fae was going to cause problems, I could lose her. If this prophecy made her a threat...

There was one thing I could control, I thought, looking at my phone as it rang once more. Resolutely, I picked it up and answered, "Dyson?"

"Bo, are you okay? I'm sorry about Trick-"

"We need to talk," I cut him off. "I'll meet you at your place."

Along the drive to Dyson's apartment I had tried to come up with a way to break up with him without him hating me. Nothing had come to mind, so I decided I was just going to be honest. He deserved the truth.

"Hey," he greeted me and leaned in to kiss me on the cheek. "What do you want to talk about? You sounded really serious."

I followed him in and we sat side by side on his bed.

"It is serious," I began. "Dyson, I care about you... a lot, and I'm not sure how to say this."

"What is it, Bo?" He looked me dead in the eye and I was forced to look away.

"I..." I couldn't think of anything to say that would soften the blow. I shook my head and sighed, "I'm sorry, but... I don't want to be with you anymore."

I watched as he hung his head, "I knew this was coming," he said, softly. "How many?"

"How many what?"

"How many people have you slept with in the last three weeks, Bo?" His voice was strained.

"Dyson, I-"

"I'm not stupid. I know what happened with Lauren at the Dal."

My muscles tensed. "You do? Why didn't you say anything?" I couldn't believe he'd just let something like that go.

"It wasn't the first time you cheated on me and I know Lauren wasn't the only one. Who else did you fuck?" His anger was rising, but I couldn't blame him.

He just wanted honesty. "Just one other... a few times... I'm so sorry-"

"Get out," he said in a low voice. I could tell he was trying to restrain himself. I nodded and got up.

I guessed it was a bad time to ask if we could still be friends. I left without another word.

When I got to my car, I pulled out my phone. I found the number I wanted and hit the 'call' button.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Kenz, Dyson and I broke up."

"Holy shit balls, Bo! Get your ass home now. I'll get the wine and ice cream ready."

Lauren

When I woke up, there was a note on the coffee table from Bo.

'Lauren- I'm going to the Dal. You've got my number in your phone if you need anything. - Bo'

I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes just as Kenzi came running into the house with what looked like two bottles of wine and a pint of vanilla ice cream.

"Oh, you're awake," she said and set the things on the counter. "Bo will be back soon. We're having a girls' night. You up for it, Doc? Just so you know, there may be tears and weapons involved."

"What?" I gave her a confused look and she came over and sat on the couch, tucking a leg under her.

"Bo and Dyson broke up, so now, as her friends, it's our job to cheer her up. Or at least get her drunk," she explained.

"And the weapons?"

Kenzi shrugged, "The depressive tearful phase usually turns into the weapon wielding anger phase."

I just nodded slowly.

"So, I've got a question for you, Doc."

"Okay..."

"You really don't remember me or Bo? Or is this another mission from the Ash?"

I raised my eyebrows, "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't remember... Wait... another?"

She tilted her head, "So you really don't remember spy-banging Bo to keep her away from the Fae whose powers you've recently contracted," she grimaced. "Contracted might not be the best word. Makes it sound like a Fae STD... we are talking about Vex, though, so maybe that is the right word."

I just stared at her as she rambled.

When she was finished she nodded, "You don't remember, obviously, and I'm not too sure Bo wanted me to tell you that... So, let's just keep it between us, okay? We'll call this a new beginning, the past is the past, yada yada, alright?"

I nodded, not sure what else to do.

The door opened and Bo walked in. Kenzi jumped up, "Bo-Bo, how you doing?" She gave Bo a hug, "What did Wolf man do? Do I need to break out the dog whistle and spray bottle? Cause I totally will."

I watched as Bo put her hands on Kenzi's shoulders with a small smile. "I broke up with him, Kenzi. And I'm okay, really."

"You broke up with him? What happened," Kenzi asked.

Bo shook her head, "We'll talk about it later. Right now I need to tell you guys something, but you both have to promise this stays between us until I find out more."

Her tone was solemn; I could tell whatever she was going to say would be bad.

"Scout's honor," Kenzi said, lifting her hand up and doing the Star Trek symbol.

Bo looked to me and I nodded, "I promise. Not a word."


	16. Chapter 16

Lauren

"So, basically, Trick says it's a prophecy and... you could be seen as a threat to the Fae," Bo finished in a low voice. She'd explained everything to Kenzi and I, but I couldn't wrap my mind around it.

"You're sure it was me," I asked, wishing she would say she wasn't, but she nodded instead. I swallowed nervously and stared down at my hands. They were shaking. "Then Trick is right. I am a threat." I looked up at them both, "I have to turn myself in."

"What?!" Bo and Kenzi practically yelled, simultaneously.

Bo jumped up, "There is no way in hell you are doing that. We don't know what this means, yet."

"Bo, I have to. The Fae in Limbo... he said he was a good guy, but I don't believe that. He's extremely dangerous. Whatever his plan is, I have something to do with it, which makes me dangerous, too," I told her.

She shook her head, "No, what we need to do is keep you safe. I'll find out more and then we'lldecide what is best." She knelt down in front of me and rested a hand on my knee, "You're not alone in this, Lauren. You have us."

Kenzi spoke up, "Yeah, Doc. Whoever wrote this so-called prophecy obviously got it wrong. You're all for the lady loving, and this mystery Fae is a dude, so I don't think you'll be all over that."

Bo smiled, "She does have a point."

"Then what do you think I should do?" I asked her.

"You need to work on using your abilities and gaining control," Bo said, then let out a little laugh, "Wow, it's like we've switched places. It's my turn to help you."

Bo

I had helped Lauren practice for a couple hours and now she was asleep. It had gone pretty well for it being her first time really trying out her abilities. And there had been no boob-grabbing incidents, though I was a little disappointed about that.

I had stayed up with Kenzi for a bit, but she had finished a bottle of wine while I was being Lauren's practice dummy, so she'd ended up crashing not too long after the doctor.

I sat at the kitchen counter thinking about my next move. Tomorrow, Lauren would have to see the Ash and give him an answer about the whole allegiance thing. When I'd asked her earlier, she said she still wasn't sure. I couldn't force her to remain unaligned, but I wished I could figure out how to convince her it was the best option.

It scared me that she had been willing to turn herself in to the Ash so readily. If she did choose the Light, she would be living pretty much the same life as before, except she wouldn't be a slave. She would still be a doctor, in the same lab with the same patients. I could tell she liked the sound of her life going somewhat back to normal... well, normal for her.

But, eventually, Trick would crack the prophecy and the Ash would be in control of her fate.

I rested my head in my hands and sighed. I had a bad feeling in my gut that something would go wrong and I was becoming more and more desperate for answers.

I stared at the glass of tea I had yet to drink. What would happen if I didn't drink it tonight?

Shrugging at my inner conversation, I stood up. "Fuck it," I whispered out loud before grabbing the cup and pouring its contents into the sink. I had to do something, right?

Lauren

I woke up in the darkened house and reached for my phone. It was almost three in the morning. Luckily, my nap earlier plus the one I just took were enough to stave off the exhaustion I'd been feeling the past few days.

I sat up and stretched, then grabbed my clothes from the arm chair. I slipped out of the tank top and shorts Bo had lent me and got dressed quickly.

As I walked towards the door, I felt my chest tighten and tears sprang to my eyes. I swallowed and blinked them back. I would've left a note if I'd known what to say. This was for the best, I kept telling myself. I walked out the door and closed it silently behind me.

The cold air hit me and I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself. With a deep breath I started towards the road. This was for the best.

Bo

I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. Sitting up and looking around, all I saw was an empty concrete room. I got to my feet and hesitantly called out, "Hello?"

"Ah, Bo... I was wondering when you would show up," a deep voice came from my right. I turned but no one was there.

"Where are you?" I knew it had to be the unnamed Fae.

"You, my dear Succubus, have terrible timing," the disembodied voice said in a mocking tone. "I'd love for you to stay and chat, however, you need to go back. Now."

"What? No, I need answers. I'm not going anywhere."

The voice came from my left, "Now isn't the time. You must go back. She's leaving. You have to stop her."

"Who's leaving? What are you talking about?"

"Stop her, Bo. If you don't, they will kill her."

My eyes went wide with realization and then everything went black. Next thing I knew, I was sitting up in my own bed, trying to catch my breath. I jumped up and grabbed a pair of pants and my boots, pulling them on in seconds.

I raced down the stairs and saw the empty couch and the folded clothes. Grabbing my jacket and keys, I rushed out of the house and to my car.

I had only been driving towards the Ash's compound for five minutes before I spotted the lone figure walking along the side of the road. I pulled over, putting the car in park even though it hadn't fully stopped and jumped out. "Lauren, wait!" Running up behind her, I reached out and grabbed her arm, spinning her to face me. "You can't do this, it's suicide. What are you thinking?" I pleaded. I could see she had been crying. "Please, come back with me."

She shook her head in despair, "I can't. I'm not going to put you and Kenzi in danger. This is bigger than us, Bo. I have to do this."

"No, you don't," I told her. "I promised I would protect you and I meant it."

"Why? Why do you care so much? After what I did... how I betrayed you. Why would you help me?"

I was caught off guard. "You... you remembered that?"

"It doesn't matter," she said softly. "You deserve better than me."

I put my hands on her shoulders, "You don't remember everything yet, Lauren, but I do, and at this rate, soon you will, too." I moved my hand down to rest over her heart. "I know you feel it, even if you can't remember."

She reached up and put her over mine, inhaling shakily, "That's why I'm scared, Bo, because I feel it. I don't understand it, but it's why I'm doing this. I can't have you risk your life for me."

"Do you trust me," I whispered as she hung her head. "Whatever happens... whatever is coming, we're in this together. I've already lost you once and I'll be damned if I just stand around and watch it happen again. So, do you trust me, Lauren?"

She finally looked up, tears running down her face. "Yes, I trust you."

I moved closer, my hand still over her heart. I felt it beat harder as her aura became brighter. Slowly, I leaned in and pressed lips to hers. It was like electricity through both of us and I felt my heart pounding in sync with hers. Only when oxygen became a dire need did we pull away.

"So you'll come back with me, then?" My voice shook as I felt the adrenaline still pulsing through me.

She nodded and smiled, "I'll go anywhere with you."

I let out a relieved laugh, "Good. Me, too."


	17. Chapter 17

sorry about the hiatus. spring break and whatnot. ill be posting more often again. thanks for all the reviews, hope to hear more feedback from you all. enjoy!

Lauren

"You think he's protecting me?" I stared at Bo, a little confused. We'd just gotten back to the house and now were sitting on the couch. "And again, why would you risk being taken to Limbo? We have no idea who we're dealing with."

She shrugged, "I don't know, Lauren. I thought I would get some answers. But if he hadn't told me you were leaving... he said they would kill you."

"Well, it makes sense that if I'm a part of this prophecy, he wouldn't want anything to happen to me." I swallowed and looked away from her. "That's not necessarily a good thing, though."

"But that's it. We don't know... anything. He could be a good guy... well, maybe not good but not completely bad or evil..." She shook her head, "It's so frustrating. I mean, why bring us into Limbo to begin with? Why not just show up on the doorstep?"

I lifted an eyebrow, "First off, be careful what you wish for. But you're right. There's a possibility whatever he is, he doesn't have a corporeal form."

"So he's what? A ghost Fae?"

"I can't really say. He's not a... ghost... but I don't know of any Fae that has the ability to navigate Limbo and doesn't have an actual body. Those without bodies, if they exist, wouldn't need a doctor." I tried to recall what I knew of transcendent Fae but couldn't figure out any relation to what we were up against.

"Have you... felt any different? Besides the sudden Fae-ness, I mean. Like something influencing you?"

"What do you mean?"

Bo sat up straighter and cleared her throat, "Have you had any bad thoughts? I don't know if being, um, evil is like being insane, where you don't actually think you're crazy... I don't think you're evil," she assured me quickly, "but if this Fae doesn't have a body and has untold power... do you think it could possess you?"

I realized I was clenching my hands into fists, my nails digging into my palms, and forced myself to relax. Bo had a point. We really didn't know of what this Fae was capable. "I... don't think so. I really don't know." I couldn't help the wave of nausea that came over me as I contemplated this new theory.

"Hey," Bo said softly, reaching over to place a hand over mine. "I know you're good, Lauren. Whatever this Fae throws at us, we'll get through it, I promise."

I nodded, "I just hate not knowing."

"I can imagine that doesn't happen often for you," she said with a smile that I returned, rolling my eyes. "But it happens to me a hell of a lot, so I'll help you through it." She squeezed my hand before pulling away. "Sometimes you have to face the unknown without a solid plan."

I raised my eyebrows in apprehension, "I'd rather we didn't... wait... you're talking about going back to Limbo, aren't you?" She gave me sheepish look and I immediately shook my head. "No, Bo, you can't. There's another way, a safe and logical way."

She rolled her eyes, "Researching has gotten us nowhere so far, besides a possible prophecy that may take weeks to translate. We might not have that much time."

I stared back at her for a few seconds, thinking it over. Once again, she sort of had a point. But I couldn't let her do it. "I'll go. If I can. He obviously isn't out to harm me, but we don't know what he'll do to you." I watched the stricken look cross Bo's face and could tell she was struggling with some inner conflict. "Bo?"

"I..." Her voice broke and she looked away, clearing her throat again. "I know he probably won't hurt you but... Lauren, the last time, you died. And it was my fault you even got mixed up in this."

"Bo, you have to know that isn't true. If there's a prophecy, then it was going to happen whether you were involved or not." I lifted her chin so she'd look at me. "It was not your fault," I told her.

She inhaled deeply and nodded. "Can I... hug you?" Her voice was small, almost childlike.

"Come here," I whispered, and she slid closer, wrapping her arms around me. She rested her head on my shoulder, pressing me to her.

"God, I've missed holding you," she breathed against my neck.

A shiver went through my whole body and I closed my eyes, feeling myself finally relax. "Me, too."

One hour later...

"It's after five," Bo observed as we lay in her bed. It was her idea for me to try and sleep in her bed and she would stay up to watch me, but I couldn't fall asleep.

"I'm trying," I told her, keeping my eyes closed. "My sleeping schedule has gotten way out of whack."

"Yea, that's true. Is there any science-y trick you know to help you relax," she offered, brushing a few strands of hair from my face, her fingers gently tracing along my jaw line.

I laughed and opened my eyes, "Well, I'm not going to lie, you touching me like that might not be helping."

She pulled her hand back and smiled apologetically, "Sorry about that."

"I'm not." I reached for her hand and laced my fingers through hers. "I'm worried about going to see the Ash today," I admitted softly.

Bo nodded, "Have you decided...?"

"I think I only have one real option, considering." I looked down at our entwined hands and ran my thumb over the back of hers. "I'm going to remain unaligned. I have to find a new place though, but luckily I have money from... before."

"You can stay here as long as you need to. And we can even set up a makeshift lab area, so you can take patients here, you know?"

I smiled at Bo's effort to make everything seem okay. "Right now, I'm more worried about the ceremony. What was yours like?"

Bo's eyes went wide. "Shit. I forgot about that part."

Her reaction did little to quell my growing fears. "I really don't think I'm going to be able to sleep now."

"I'll be there with you, okay? I won't let anything happen to you. Kenzi was there for mine, and if she hadn't snapped me out out the Pain Eater's illusion or whatever, I wouldn't be here."

"You had to fight under Fae?"

She nodded, "I was a special case... but I guess you are, too."

"I don't think I'm ready for this," I whispered.

"Listen, you're the smartest person I've ever met, you know all about Fae. Whatever they have, you'll probably know what they are and their weaknesses. You're already about a hundred times more prepared than I was and I'm still here."

I gave her uneasy look but nodded, "Okay..."

She squeezed my hand, "I think I know a way to relax you a little. Trust me, okay?"

I nodded again, and watched as her hand started to glow. I immediately felt my body relax as gentle waves of pleasure pulsed through me. I knew she was using her Succubus power to sway me. "Wow..." was all I could say.

"Neat trick, huh?"

"It's like having an IV of Valium... and some extreme aphrodisiac. Incredible."

Bo laughed, "And this is only the lowest setting."


	18. Chapter 18

Bo

I walked into the Dal a little after eight in the morning, Kenzi trailing behind me wearing her hangover sunglasses. When Trick looked up and saw us, he immediately hid the photograph behind the bar. I knew it had to be the prophecy.

"Bo, Kenzi, how are you," he asked quickly, sending a meaningful glance towards me. He was clearly trying to tell whether I'd told Kenzi about the prophecy. I gave him a subtle shake of my head and he visibly relaxed.

"Ugh, coffee, now..." Kenzi whined. "Where's Hale when you need him?" She walked over to the bar and slumped onto a stool as Trick poured her drink.

"Rough night?" The older Fae gave her a soft smile.

Kenzi groaned and sipped her coffee.

"Trick, can I talk to you for a minute? In private," I clarified and nodded towards the stairs leading down to his den.

"Of course." He walked towards the door and I looked over to Kenzi, who signalled her understanding with a thumbs up.

When we got downstairs, Trick turned to me, "Did you say anything to Lauren?"

"No," I lied. "Not yet."

He nodded, "I'm sorry if I was a little strict yesterday. This is all so stressful. I need you to know I have her best interests in mind."

I scoffed at him, "By lying and hiding things from the person most effected by these... revelations? You'd think all of you would realize by now that that doesn't tend to work out." I walked over to the couch and sat down, "Anyway, that's not why I'm here. Lauren is going to choose her allegiance today and I'm pretty sure she's going have to go through the kind of test I did."

"Has she gained better control of her ability?"

I shrugged, "The basic stuff... making someone choke themselves and turning their own weapon against them. But I know the Fae don't like to play fair. Do you have any idea what they might try?"

"I'm not sure, but it did cross my mind. I checked some records of old ceremonies and there are very few details about Mesmer trials. They were all different. If you didn't already know, the Light and the Dark each choose an under Fae. So it's up to the Morrigan, who no doubt either consulted Vex or at least knew his weaknesses, and the Ash, who I happen to know is anticipating Lauren to choose to stay unaligned."

"So, they're both out to screw her over. That's what you're saying, right?"

Trick gave a half shrug, "It's a good possibility." He walked over to his desk and picked up what looked like a bracelet, "This is a sejan. I was going to give it to Lauren when she went to the compound, but since you came by, here," he explained and handed me the thick black chain.

"What does it do?"

"It gives the wearer a prescient ability. One can anticipate danger, or the enemy's next move. It's only a few seconds warning, really, but it will be nice to have I'm sure."

I nodded. "So she'll know what's going to happen and hopefully have enough time to avoid it..." I studied the odd etchings, then looked back at Trick. "Thank you."

"The least I can do. She'll have to wear it around her ankle. We don't want the Ash or the Morrigan to recognize it," Trick said.

I put the bracelet in my pocket. "I'll tell her. I should get home," I headed torwards the stairs. "I guess I'll see you in a few hours."

Five minutes later...

"Did you get it," I asked Kenzi, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

She removed her sunglasses with a grin, "Do you really have to ask?" She slipped her phone from her pocket and showed me the photo she'd taken. "I can't believe it's really Lauren. And the Fae is a lot less scary than I imagined he'd be."

I shrugged, "Guess you can't judge a Fae by his cover." I started the car and put it in drive. "And we're not mentioning this to Lauren until after the test. Now, as promised, let's get some food."

Lauren

"Not hungry?" Bo asked as we sat at the kitchen counter. She and Kenzi had brought back sausage and egg sandwiches for breakfast, but I had absolutely no appetite.

I shook my head, "I don't think I'd be able to keep it down."

Bo leaned across the counter and rested her hand on top of mine, "It's gonna be okay, you'll see."

I nodded and she took back her hand.

The sejan was gripped in my other hand. I lifted it up to examine once more. I was surprised Trick had one. It was a very rare Fae artifact. "Did Trick say anything more about the prophecy?" I watched as Bo gave Kenzi a weird look. "What is it?"

"I'm thinking if he did crack the code he wouldn't give up any info in front of Kenzi," Bo explained before finishing her sandwich.

Just then, Kenzi's phone started to ring and I jumped, nearly falling off the stool.

"Sorry," Kenzi said with her mouth full. She picked up the phone and read the screen, then looked at Bo, "It's Dyson." She got up and walked towards the couch, "Hello?"

Bo and I sat in silence while Kenzi talked on the phone. Less than a minute later, she hung up and came back over.

"So, Dyson and Hale are going to 'escort'," she used her fingers to emphasize the quotations around the word 'escort', "Lauren to the trial thing. Apparently, the Ash ordered them to and they'll be here in a few minutes."

I inhaled deeply and tried to calm myself. Looking to Bo, I said, "I'll put on the sejan now, I guess."

"Kenzi and I will be right behind you, okay?" She stood up as I clasped the bracelet around my ankle.

When I'd straightened up, Kenzi walked up to me and rested her hands on my shoulders. I raised an eyebrow at the unexpected contact.

"Listen, Hot Pants," she began and I looked over her shoulder at Bo, confused by the nickname. She just shrugged, so I turned my attention back to Kenzi. She looked me in the eyes, "You is kind... You is smart... You is important..." she said in a terrible southern accent.

"What the hell, Kenz?" Bo said at the same time I asked, "Are you okay?"

Kenzi removed her hands, "What? Haven't you seen 'The Help'?" Kenzi rolled her eyes, "Sorry I should've known you don't watch movies. There's a book..." she trailed off as there was a sudden knock at the door. "And I'll be getting that." She trotted towards the door.

"You ready?" Bo asked, moving to stand in front of me.

I shook my head, "Not at all."

When we all got outside, Kenzi was the first to speak up, "Well, at least this is less intimidating than being followed into an alley by a rapist-mobile." She gave Dyson a pointed look. "Am I right to assume the destination is the creepy abandoned glass factory?"

"It's neutral territory," Dyson answered, shortly. "I don't know if they'll allow you to enter, Kenzi."

She smiled at the shifter, "It's not like I don't know the back way. Done this before, remember?"

Dyson nodded then looked back at me, "Did you put on the sejan, yet?"

"You know about that?" I asked, a little surprised.

"It was my idea," he answered as he opened the car door for me.

I sent a final look over my shoulder to Bo and she gave me a small smile before assuring me that she and Kenzi would meet us there.

Dyson and Hale got into the car and Hale looked back at me from the passenger seat, "So, Doc, how's it feel being Fae?"

I let out an uneasy laugh, "At the moment, terrifying."


	19. Chapter 19

Bo

I stood with Lauren, Kenzi, and Dyson in the abandoned factory, the same room I'd been held in before the trial started. It would be a lie to say it wasn't awkward being in the same room with Dyson, who had yet to say a word to me.

"How long till this shindig starts, D-man?" Kenzi leaned against the wall and sighed. She sent a look my way, obviously sensing the tension.

"The Morrigan and the Ash are meeting right now," Dyson said, "Hale will tell us when it's time."

"Maybe we should go see if Trick's here yet," Kenzi suggested and I knew it was an excuse to get Dyson out of the room.

He looked to Lauren and then me with an unreadable expression before heading towards the door without a word. Kenzi gave me another glance and I nodded my thanks as she followed Dyson out.

"That was... odd," Lauren finally said. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head and smiled, "Don't worry about me, I'm fine." I walked closer to her, "When you get out there, they let you choose your weapons. I recommend the daggers..."

She nodded, staring down at the floor, but looked up again when the door opened.

"Well, well... Can't say I'm surprised you're here," Evony said dryly as she entered the room with two of her guards. She turned her attention to Lauren, "I'm just going to cut to the chase. I already know that if you survive, it's between the Light and... her," she crossed her arms over her chest and set me with a glare. "But I thought I'd give you fair warning. Vex, as most Fae know, is... was a favorite of the Dark elders. You can imagine that the loss of his abilities has angered them. If you choose the Light, you'll have their protection, no doubt. However, that's only a setback. And, if you choose not to join a side, that will make you fair game." Evony smiled at me as she said the last part. "But, if you come to your senses and join us, there will be no problems. I know you're a smart girl, Dr. Lewis. I encourage you to really think about this before making your decision." She turned and left before Lauren or I could say anything.

"Well that was cheerful," I joked and looked over at Lauren, who had paled significantly from the time the Morrigan had entered. "Hey," I reached out and put a hand on her upper arm, "You're gonna get through this. She's just trying to mess with you before you go out there."

"She's right, though. Even if I survive this, they'll keep coming."

"First of all, it's 'when' you survive this, and second... they've tried to come after me and believe me, it's nothing we can't handle."

The door opened once more, but this time it was Hale. "It's time, Doc."

"Give us a sec, Hale?" I asked.

"I'll be outside. Make it quick," he said before closing the door.

I turned back to Lauren, "Okay, so this is another one of those times you're going to have to trust me. I hope this works." I reached up and put my hand against her cheek. "Close your eyes," I whispered, leaning in to kiss her. I focused on trying to push my chi into her. It took a few seconds, but I was surprised when I felt it start to leave my body. I felt Lauren's hands come up to rest on my waist and her grip tightened, pulling me closer to her. As the kiss became more heated, I grew weaker. I pulled away after almost a minute, gasping for breath.

"What did you just do," Lauren asked, her eyes wide.

"I gave you some of my chi. It'll help you... I think.." I felt lightheaded as I tried to stay standing. Lauren put her hands on my shoulders.

"Bo, you shouldn't have done that. You need that chi to stay alive. Where did you even learn to do that?"

"I'll be fine in a few minutes and we'll talk about this later. Right now, you have to go out there and kick some under Fae ass, okay?"

She nodded, "Okay."

We walked out into the opening with Hale. The Fae were on the rafters above us, the Ash and the Morrigan in the center. I spotted Trick, Kenzi and Dyson standing at the other side of the room.

"I'll be over there with the others," I told Lauren and then added, "Good luck."

She gave me a small smile and I walked over to stand between Trick and Kenzi.

"Dr. Lewis," the Ash said and the rest of the Fae went silent. "You have been brought here to be tested. If you pass, you will be given the opportunity to choose your allegiance. You will face two opponents in a fight to the death."

As he spoke, I watched Hale point Lauren to the weapon rack. She picked up the two daggers and looked over at me. I nodded to answer her silent question. Then I turned my head to where the under Fae was being led out.

"What the hell is that?" I observed the scaly lizard-man looking creature. It had long, sharp claws which it licked with its snake-like tongue.

I looked down at Trick, who gave me a troubled look as he answered, "It's a Deriloch." He shook his head, "I thought they were extinct."

"What does it do?"

"Begin," I heard the Ash say and looked over to see the creature disappear into thin air and seconds later, Lauren cried out as three deep gashes appeared on the side of her face.

"That," Trick said, finally answering my question. "They lick their claws because their saliva is poisonous. It's almost instant paralysis and death for humans. With Fae, it slows them down, weakens them, and if enough gets into the bloodstream..." he trailed off meaningfully as we watched Lauren dodge an invisible attack.

"Are you fucking serious," Kenzi asked. "Why are these things alive?" She reached out and grabbed my hand, "I don't think I want to see this."

Lauren slashed her dagger through the air and it came away bloody. The Deriloch reappeared for a few seconds, but as Lauren went to wound it again, three more gashes spread down her back nearly causing her to drop the daggers.

"There's two of them," I whispered, feeling my whole body tense. I made to walk out to help, I had to do something, but Dyson grabbed my arm tight.

"Bo, you cannot interfere," he said, sharply.

"They're making her fight two at the same time!"

He just shook his head and kept his grip on me.

I could see the blood on the floor from the wounded Deriloch, mapping out where the creature was. I knew Lauren saw it, too. She ducked it's attack then spun around, driving one of the daggers upwards. The blade vanished to the hilt before the second Deriloch appeared, the dagger buried in its chest. She twisted the blade and pulled it out before swinging it to the right. A large claw fell to the floor next to the now dead Deriloch.

I held my breath as blood coated the floor and the creature appeared on its knees, growling in pain at the loss of its appendage.

"Holy shit!" I heard Kenzi exclaim behind me. "Since when was the Doc a friggin' ninja!?"

Lauren kept her distance as the weakening Deriloch flailed its good claw towards her. She threw down the daggers and extended her arm, taking control of the Deriloch's arm and made it slash its own throat. The creature fell to the ground, dead, and the Fae started to cheer.

I hugged Kenzi, relief flooding through my whole body.

"Congratulations, Lauren. You have passed," the Ash's voice boomed over the crowd and the cheering abated. I caught Lauren's eye and she smiled, breathing heavily. "You may now choose a side."

She looked up at the Ash and the Morrigan, "Neither." She started walking towards me.

"So be it," the Ash said in a solemn tone.

I ran up and threw my arms around her, "That was amazing," I whispered then pulled away.

"Bo," she said, her eyes starting to close. "The poison... I'm gonna pass

.." she slumped into my arms and I tried to keep her standing.

"Dyson!" I called and he came over and gathered Lauren's unconscious body into his arms. "Is she gonna be okay?"

"We have to get her to the Dal, now," Trick said, heading towards to the door and Dyson followed.


	20. Chapter 20

Lauren

I knew where I was before I even opened my eyes. I sat up and saw him sitting in a chair across the room.

"That was quite impressive, Lauren," the Fae said with a smile.

Inhaled slowly, gathering confidence I knew I didn't have in order to keep my voice steady. "What do you want with me?"

"I understand you have questions. I am not sure I can answer them to your satisfaction, but I will try." He looked to my right and I followed his gaze to see a chair beside me. "Have a seat."

I got up and situated myself in the chair, unsure where to begin. "You said you wouldn't hurt me, last time..."

"That is the truth."

I nodded, "And Bo?"

"I have no plans to harm the Succubus," he said in an even tone.

"Why did you take away my memory of her?"

"Ah," his smile returned, "but you do remember now, don't you? How did that happen," he asked with genuine curiosity.

"You mean you don't already know? You seem to see everything."

He shook his head, "I have other things to keep track of than just you. While I was able to witness your ceremony, I did not see what happened before it."

I didn't know whether I should tell him about Bo giving me her chi. About how everything I hadn't remembered came back to me in those few seconds. I hadn't even told Bo. It seemed like it would've been too much to deal with at the time. "You said you would answer my questions."

"Very well. It was a test. You and the Succubus passed," he replied vaguely. "I realize you do not trust me yet, but you will soon."

"Are you talking about the prophecy?"

He tilted his head, "You speak of the document the wolf found? That is not so much a prophecy. It is a message... for you."

"What's the message?"

"That I cannot answer, because I don't know. I'm hoping you will be the key to figuring it out."

I raised an eyebrow, "You can't read the language?"

He shook his head, "It's not a language. It's a code."

I was having a hard time taking this in. There were too many questions and I didn't know how long I had to ask them. "Do you know who wrote it? Or at least why? You're a part of whatever it is."

He nodded, "Before I can answer that, we have to discuss a few things." I stayed silent and he continued, "You've done some extensive research on the Fae, even though you were human until a few day ago, so you know that the Fae were fully evolved before humans became civilized. Though most Fae now use humans to feed, they are not essential to our way of life. They are more of a... buffer, to keep Fae from attacking other Fae."

"What exactly do you want to discuss? I'm already aware of all this." His indirectness was starting to annoy me.

He obviously caught on to my impatience. "When the message was written, there was no Light or Dark, and very few attempts at human civilization. The Fae weren't in hiding, for they occupied lands humans had yet to inhabit."

"The earliest signs of human civilizations known to the world were actually part of Fae civilizations," I thought out loud, then looked up at the Fae, "You're telling me this message was written over twelve thousand years ago? How can you know that?"

"You are a scientist, Lauren, therefore this may be hard for you to believe, but it is the truth, and it is the reason I had to test you and Bo." He stood up and started pacing while I sat and watched him closely. "When you didn't remember Bo, you still felt that you could trust her, you felt your connection with her. You were even able to remember things you should not have remembered. I also know, now that you have your memory back, you recall the dreams Bo had been having, the ones that seemingly started all of this." He stopped pacing and turned to me, I nodded. "I did not have anything to do with those dreams, they were Bo's memories trying to break through."

"What are you talking about? You took away some of her memories, too?"

He shook his head, "They're not exactly hers. They're her soul's memories from her past life."

I gave him a disbelieving look. "You're saying she's been reincarnated?"

"I understand you're skeptical, I expected nothing less. But yes, she has been reincarnated, as have you."

I pressed a hand to my temple, trying to delay the oncoming headache. None of this was even possible. Maybe I was having a fevered dream caused by the poison. At least that would make sense.

I heard the Fae sigh and looked up as he sat down. "I need to know what made you remember, Lauren. You don't believe me, but believe yourself. Whatever happened that made you remember, it gave you memories not of this lifetime. I can see them."

"What are you talking about?"

"Think back to when it happened. There are... fragments that don't belong."

I closed my eyes as I recalled the kiss, feeling Bo's chi enter me, and the rush of memories. I remembered seeing flashes of myself and Bo, clearly things that hadn't happened to us. At the time, everything had been jumbled and I hadn't thought about what did and didn't fit. As I sat there now however, I realized the Fae was right; a few of them definitley weren't my own. "Who is Zoie?" I finally asked, opening my eyes.

I watched as the Fae's face lit up. "Zoie is who wrote the code, the message, for you. She was my sister and the reason why you're here. Her soul was reborn into you."

"What?" My voice cracked a little as I asked the question. "That... that can't be true."

"It is true. Now, please, tell me what made you remember, Lauren."

My mind was reeling, but I answered. "Bo... she gave me her chi... and then it happened."

"Of course," he said softly. "I should have known. Listen," his tone became firm, "I need you both to come here. You bring Bo and I will tell you everything, maybe even show you. And I promise, no harm will come to either of you."

I shook my head, "How do I know I can trust you?"

He came over and knelt before me, "My sister sacrificed her life to stop this threat, to make sure you would know how to stop it. If you want to save Bo, you have to trust me. You don't have a choice."

I swallowed, trying to process this information as I felt a wave of drowsiness overcome me. I knew he was about to send me back and I tried to fight it. "Will you at least tell me your name?"

He nodded and said, "Castor." Then everything went black.

Author's Note: So as you've read, Lauren and Bo will have past lives, and I've asked a few people and decided to use the names of the actresses who play them on the show for visualization purposes and so it's not too confusing. Hope you guys liked it. I'll post more soon.


	21. Chapter 21

Bo

I sat in the chair beside the couch where Lauren lay, unconscious. Trick had been able to stitch up her back and surmised that the amount of poison in her blood had been minimal. He said she'd be out for a while but it would soon wear off, so Kenzi and I had brought her back to the house.

Fortunately, Trick had asked me to check her eyes and I had lied, saying they were normal. I knew I couldn't trust him or Dyson to be there when she woke up. They might tell the Ash.

"Bo," I heard Kenzi say my name as she came down the stairs and turned around. "Are you ever going to tell me what the hell happened with you and Dyson?"

I sighed and turned back to Lauren, making sure she was okay before getting up and walking to the counter. "It's really not that complicated," I said, sitting on a stool. Kenzi went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine.

"Well, it seems a little complicated. He won't talk to you." She poured a glass for each of us and took a swig of hers.

I shrugged, "I broke up with him, Kenzi. He's not exactly going to be happy about it."

She lifted her eyebrow and gave me an expectant look, not saying anything and occasionally sipping her wine.

After about a minute, I threw up my hands, "Okay, fine. I cheated on him." I took a long drink of wine as Kenzi stared at me with her mouth open.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She put a hand over her chest, "Bo, I'm hurt."

"It's not something I'm proud of," I said, resting my forehead in my hands.

She leaned across the counter and lowered her voice, "Well, who was it?"

I poured myself more wine and chugged it down before answering. "There were two," I admitted and Kenzi's eyebrows shot up. "A Dark Fae I met at a club..."

"You went clubbing without me," Kenzi whispered. "And a Dark Fae? That's... intense." I nodded. "Okay, so that's one... and two?"

I sighed and looked towards the couch to make sure Lauren wasn't awake, before turning back to Kenzi with a meaningful look.

It took her a second, but she soon realized and her eyes went wide. "No way," she said loudly, then caught herself and lowered her voice again, "The Doc?"

"Yes."

"Wait... pre- or post-memory loss?"

"Pre-, Kenzi," I answered, shaking my head.

"But I thought you were pissed at her for the whole..." she trailed off.

"It just kind of happened." I really didn't know how to explain what transpired in the bathroom of the Dal. "I broke up with Dyson because... well, yea, I cheated on him, and that wasn't fair to him, but also because-" I heard a noise from the couch and turned around to see Lauren suddenly sit up. I jumped off the stool and hurried over. "Whoa, easy," I said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "You don't want to rip your stitches."

She reached up and felt for the bandage on her face, pulling it off. The cuts were gone.

"Well, damn," Kenzi said, coming up behind me. "You can heal yourself, too?"

Lauren shook her head, "He must've done it."

"So, you did see him again?" I asked, sitting down next to her on the couch. "Did he tell you anything?"

She ran a hand through her hair, nodding. As she put her hand back down, I realized she was shaking.

"Lauren? What is it?"

"He said some things... I don't know if he's telling the truth. It could be a trap."

"What do you mean?"

"He said your dreams, the ones you couldn't remember, they were memories... from a past life."

"What? A past life? Does that actually happen?" Kenzi slapped a hand to her forehead, "The Hindus were right."

I was staring at Lauren as Kenzi started rambling about changing religions. "Is it true?"

Lauren turned her attention away from Kenzi. "I don't know, but..." she trailed off and didn't seem to want to continue.

"But, what?" I pushed her, wondering what she was so reluctant to tell me.

"I remember, Bo," she said, softly.

"You... you remember me? You remember everything?"

"Everything," she nodded. "And more."

I gave her a confused look, "What do you mean 'more'? And did he just give you your memory back?"

She shook her head, "It came back when you gave me your chi, before the test."

"Wait, what?" Kenzi interjected and looked at me. "You gave her your chi? Since when can you do that?"

"I'll explain it later, Kenz, I promise," I told her, then turned to Lauren. "Why didn't you tell me?" I was kind of hurt that she hadn't.

"There was so much going on and there just wasn't time, I'm sorry," she said quickly. "But what I'm trying to tell you is that I had memories come to me of us... but it's not us. It's hard to explain."

"Doc, you look like you could use a drink," Kenzi observed.

Lauren looked up with a half smile, "Please." She stood up to follow Kenzi, but I grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Wait," I went behind her and lifted her shirt so I could see the bandage on her back. I pulled it off gently, revealing the unmarked skin. The string Trick had used to stitch the wounds fell away.

Without thinking, I softly traced my fingers down the exposed skin, hearing Lauren's sharp intake of breath and seeing her aura flare up. "Sorry," I whispered. "All healed." I pulled her shirt back down, and Lauren turned around.

"Bo... your eyes," she said and I quickly raised a hand to cover them. "What happened earlier... You have to feed."

I shook my head and removed my hand, knowing my eyes were back to normal, "I'm okay, really."

She continued to stare into my eyes for a few seconds, then looked away, "Okay."

We walked over to Kenzi who had missed the exchange, having been busy pouring the wine. She handed us each a glass and lifted hers, "So, I know we have mystery Fae business to deal with, but I would just like to say," she motioned for Lauren and I to lift our glasses as well, "congratulations, Doc, on passing your trial thing and sticking it to the Ash-hole. Welcome to the Unaligned."

Lauren ducked her head with a smile, "Thanks, Kenzi."

"No prob. Cheers!"

We all clinked our glasses and took a drink.

"Okay, back to the issues," Kenzi said. "You were saying you remembered your past life?"

Lauren sighed, "I don't know if it really was my past life. The Fae, who told me his name was Castor... he said that Bo and I are reincarnated souls from approximately twelve thousand years ago, and my... past self wrote the prophecy, which it turns out isn't a prophecy but a coded message for me. He also told me in my past life I was Zoie, his sister..."

Kenzi and I just stared at her for a minute, trying to process this information.

Kenzi was the first to say something, "Okay... so who was Bo's past self?"

"It's hard to say, he didn't tell me. But in the memory, we were speaking in a different language, one I've never heard before, yet I understood what we were saying." She looked at me, "I called you Anna."

"It doesn't really ring a bell," I said, unsure if the name was supposed to trigger anything. "What was the memory of?"

"It was just a few seconds. You said... you loved me... and I said, 'I love you, too, Anna. Forever'," she said softly.

I swallowed and looked from her to Kenzi, whose eyebrows were raised. "So we were together... in our past life...?"

Lauren shrugged, biting her lip and looking down into her wine glass, "That's what it seemed like."

"Well," Kenzi said with a sigh and pulled out her phone. "Did he tell you what the message was? Because I have a picture of the un-prophecy." She walked over to the computer and plugged her phone into it.

"He said he didn't know what it said... that I was the key to decoding it," Lauren explained, walking up behind Kenzi as she pulled up picture on the monitor. Lauren looked closely at the screen for minute, then shook her head, "I can't read it."

"Did Castor say anything about how you'd figure it out?" I asked.

She looked up, "He wants us both to go there. He said he would explain more, that he would show us. But I don't know, Bo. It's a big risk... Like I said, it might be a trap."

I nodded, "We'll do it. Tonight."


	22. Chapter 22

just wanted to thank you all for the reviews, you guys are awesome and make the thumb cramps worth it haha. i figured i should post since its technically a holiday. thanks again and happy cliff-hanging! :)

Lauren

"So, you guys are really going to do this?" Kenzi looked from Bo to me.

I walked closer to Bo, "So far, he hasn't given me a reason not to trust him. We can go, if you're sure you want to. But under one condition."

"What's that," Bo asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"You're weak right now. You have to feed before we do this."

Kenzi stood up, "And this is my cue to leave the room, unnoticed." She walked to the counter and grabbed the bottle of wine, then headed towards the stairs. "I'll be in my room if you need me."

I watched Kenzi leave and then turned back to Bo, who was staring at the floor.

"I... um... I didn't mean..." I stuttered, unsure of how to take Bo's reaction.

"No, no," she said, looking up. "It's just... well, now that you have your memory back, I honestly don't know where we... stand."

I nodded slowly, "Bo, with or without my memory, I know you know how I feel about you." I reached out to take her hand, "And I know there's a lot we need to talk about, but-" I was cut off by a knock at the door.

Bo looked over then back at me. "Hold that thought." She walked across the room and answered the door. "Dyson? What are you doing here?"

I quickly went the computer to exit out of the window showing the ancient message, then headed towards Bo.

Dyson help up a brown bag, "I came by to give you this," he looked past Bo to me, "it's for your-" he furrowed his eyebrows, "You're healed? How?"

I reached up and covered my cheek, mentally cursing myself, as Bo turned around, her eyes wide.

"Um, funny story, you see," Bo began, obvioulsy trying to come up with an excuse. "I, uh, gave her some of my chi and... ta-da! She's all healed."

I just nodded when Dyson looked to me to confirm her story. The tendons in his neck stood out as he clenched his jaw and looked back at Bo. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"Another Succubus. Long story. Anyway, I was just about to go to bed," Bo said, starting to close the door. "I'll see you around, okay?"

"It's seven o'clock, Bo," he said, reaching his hand out to stop the door.

"It's been a long day, Dyson," she replied in a firm tone, showing her annoyance.

He put up his hands and backed out of the doorway. "Fine."

Once he was gone, Bo closed the door and turned to me. "I am a terrible liar."

"Bo, what if he goes to Trick?" I shook my head, "This isn't good."

"We're going to be fine," she assured me, walking to the stairs, "Kenzi!"

The girl came bounding down the steps in seconds, a katana gripped in her hands. She looked around the room wildly before lowering the weapon. "No threats detected." She lifted an eyebrow, "You really shouldn't yell my name like that unless it is a Fae-mergency, Bo."

"It kind of is. I need you to go to the Dal and call me if Dyson shows up."

"Oh-kay," she said slowly. "And why exactly am I stalking your ex-boyfriend?"

"Dyson might know Lauren has been in Limbo, again. I need to know if he goes to see Trick," Bo explained.

"Gotcha," Kenzi rested the katana against the wall and walked over, "Keys?"

"Cab fare," Bo said, handing her money. "You might be there for a while."

After Kenzi had called a cab and left, Bo and I stood by the counter. I watched as she took a drink from her wine glass and then set it down.

"Now, back to what we were talking about before the... interruption," she said with a small smile. "If I feed from you, Lauren, then you'll be weak," she explained. "So, do you see the uh... catch-22?"

"Bo, he's not going to hurt me."

She nodded, "I don't think he's going to hurt me, either. I think he needs our help. And even if I do feed... it really won't make a difference against a Fae that can take away abilities."

"Just take a little bit, then," I told her. "I can handle it."

She swallowed and looked away, "I don't want to hurt you."

"Bo, I'm Fae now," I said, "You won't hurt me." I moved closer to her and cupped her face in my hands, making her look at me. "Trust me," I whispered.

She closed her eyes and nodded, so I pulled her to me, capturing her lips with my own as her hands came up to grip my hips. She pushed me against the counter and I parted my lips in wordless surrender, allowing Bo to deepen the kiss. I felt her hands slip under my shirt, her fingers splaying across my skin and inching upward, slowly.

Bo pulled away, her eyes glowing blue, "Are you sure," she breathed.

I answered by pressing my lips to hers once more and whispered, "Take me, Bo."

Then I felt it. I felt my chi leaving me, sending intense waves of pleasure through my whole body. I moaned against Bo's lips, gripping her shoulders, tightly.

All of a sudden, a jolt went straight through both of us and Bo stumbled backwards, doubling over and clutching her hands to her stomach. Her eyes were full of terror as she breathed far too quickly.

"Bo!" I rushed over to her, "What's happening? What's wrong?"

She shook her head, clenching her teeth in pain. "Zoie..." she groaned before falling to the floor.

"Bo," I yelled again. I knelt down beside her, tears stinging my eyes. I checked for her pulse and felt a little relieved to find it normal, then lifted up her shirt to examine he stomach, but there was no superficial damage. It could be internal. The tears escaped my eyes. It was my fault. Whatever just happened was because Bo fed from me.

Trying to calm my racing heart, I breathed in and out slowly. I took Bo's face between my hands, "Bo? Can you hear me?"

There was a sharp knock at the and I ran to open it, actually praying it was Dyson, something I never thought I'd do.

But it wasn't Dyson. It was an unfamiliar man.

"Who are you?"

The man smiled, lifting his hand to his face, and blew powder towards me.

I realized too late what had happened as an extreme wave of drowsiness overcame me. "Sand... man... shit," I whispered before collapsing.

I heard Bo calling my name and opened my eyes. We were in Limbo.

"Oh, God, Bo..." I whispered and sat up. "Are you okay? What was that? Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, "I'm fine... I think."

"What happened?"

"I saw something," she said with tears in her eyes. "I saw you kill me."


	23. Chapter 23

Bo

Lauren stared at me with a mix of horror and shock, "I would never hurt you."

I closed my eyes, shaking my head, "It... it wasn't you. I saw Zoie kill Anna," I explained. "I felt her die... and the look in your... I mean, Zoie's eyes... I've never seen such... hatred."

I looked over as I heard footsteps approaching us.

"That isn't true," the Fae, Castor, stated in an even tone. "There's a lot you've yet to understand. But I am glad you're both here. Now, you can help me."

"What exactly do you want," I asked, standing up to look Castor in the eyes.

"The same as you. To find out what our destiny is."

"How?"

He pulled a stone from his pocket, "By seeing what happened through Zoie's and Anna's eyes." Castor handed me the crimson stone and it began to glow.

I turned to Lauren, who was standing beside me, but her attention rested on the object in my hand.

"Once you touch the portal, you will be sent back in time. This is not a trick, I assure you," Castor explained softly.

I watched Lauren swallow with an uneasy look. I knew she was scared but my instincts told me we had to do this.

"We're in this together, right," I whispered to her and her eyes met mine.

She nodded, "Together." She lifted her hand, gently placing it on the stone, and a blinding light swallowed the room.

Zoie

I stood beside my bedroom window. From here, I could see my father's kingdom of Aethevia stretch to the horizon. I thought about how one day I might rule this island and shivered. To me, it was a scary thing.

As daughter of the king, I had rarely been far outside the palace walls, for my own safety. My father was the most powerful Fae in the land; a king and a judge. He was not a bad man, but the Fae feared him, for he was able to give and take other Fae's abilities as he pleased. To be made powerless, made mortal, was a punishment worse than death.

I turned around at the knock on my door and smiled, seeing my brother enter the room.

"Zoie, the party starts in an hour," Castor said, looking me over. "You're not seriously going to wear that, are you?"

I looked down at the simple, white gown. "Why not?"

He came up to me, "It's your twenty-eighth birthday celebration and father is in Sulstin. Do you realize how much debauchery will be taking place, tonight? I'm talking nymphs and faeries, casks upon casks of wine. Not the usual boring feast where you sit pretty as a line of old Fae kiss your hand and force you to dance. I did not go through all the trouble of setting this up so that you could waste the night in a corner, brooding."

"I do not brood," I said, indignantly. "And you've hired strippers, Castor? Really?"

He shook his head, "Not strippers; dancers of the clothing-optional variety." He grinned. "Anyway, I had Tenia make you a dress, knowing you'd pull something like this. I'll send her up. And as I said, you've an hour before the guests start arriving," he said, turning to leave. "Oh, and happy birthday."

Anna

I ran down the dark street, Rachel right behind me. "I can't believe you made me late," I huffed and lifted my dress to make leg movement easier.

"Well, it's not like you were complaining at the time. In fact, I clearly remember you saying, 'Don't stop'," she replied, coming up beside me and I rolled my eyes at her. "Besides, you're not the one who'll be in trouble if Chauss finds out we were late. The guy worships you."

I slowed down once I saw the palace at the end of the road. I'd never been inside. I was far from rich or notable, having grown up an orphan in a less than pretty village about twenty miles away.

Straightening out my dress and running my fingers through my hair, I turned to Rachel. "How do I look?"

"Like you have to ask," she said, out of breath. She held her arms out at her sides, "What about me?"

"You'll do," I joked and she whacked my arm before starting down the street.

"Let's go charm the clothes off some royalty, shall we?"

Zoie

I was dressed and ready in a new gown. It was black and elegant, but then neckline dipped a little lower than I was accustomed to.

I heard voices echoing through the halls and knew the guests were beginning to show up and the party was getting underway. As I went to open the door, Castor bounded in.

"Why, don't you look stunning, " he said. "I'm here to escort you, dear sister."

I rolled my eyes but took the arm he offered. He led me through the labyrinth of halls to the main staircase. We looked down at the foyer through which the guests were entering. When they spotted us, they all took a bow and cheered when we returned it. Descending the stairs, I heard a multitude of 'happy birthday' shouts.

I took a deep breath but kept a smile plastered on my face. I didn't really enjoy attention, which I suppose is odd for a princess.

Castor guided me into the grand banquet room, the fanfare parting to give us a clear path. I endured several more bows and birthday wishes before we reached the raised platform where the band had set up their instruments. Castor jumped onto it then helped me up to stand beside him. There must have been over two hundred Fae in attendance, excluding the servers and performers, and more were still to come.

Castor raised a hand and the room fell silent. "Thank you all for coming," he said loudly for the audience. They bowed once more. "Tonight, we gather in celebration of the birth of Princess Zoie, my sister." The crowd cheered again, then quieted as he continued, "Unfortunately, King Rusten could not attend tonight's event, for he is handling business in the town of Sulsten. Therefore, on his behalf, I, Prince Castor, welcome you all to partake in our feast and entertainment. Let the festivities begin!"

The audience roared as the band started to play. "You really love doing that, don't you," I asked Castor as we left the platform.

"Yes," he beamed at me. "Yes, I do."

Anna

Chauss had been red-faced and bitching about how Rachel and I had missed a song when we finally got there. We'd flashed our best smiles, though, and he had calmed down, somewhat. We snuck to our positions on the raised platform as the second song ended. I was between Rachel and a nymph who had just joined the troupe. She was only two years younger than my twenty-seven, but a little to innocent looking for my taste.

"Checking out the new girl, huh," Rachel whispered to me. "Afraid you won't be Chauss's favorite, anymore?"

I turned to her and scoffed. "Hardly."

The music began again and we started to dance. I searched the room, amazed at how many Fae were there. I'd never performed in front of so many. Though, I did recognize quite a few faces.

I soon spotted the prince, Castor, over by the other platform. Beside him, however, was a woman I didn't recognize, but she was staring directly at me, a look of awe in her eyes I had never seen before. I stared back, taking in her gorgeous figure, long blonde hair, deep brown eyes. She was absolutely the most beautiful woman in the room, yet she looked at me as though I was. I actually started to feel nervous, which does not happen to me... ever.

Licking my lips, I held the eye contact and watched as her aura brightened considerably. A shiver ran through my whole body and I knew my usually brown eyes were now a blazing blue.

I was forced to look away when a rather drunk Fae put his hand on my thigh and I slapped it away. Putting on a pleasant smile despite the fact that I was highly annoyed, I waved a finger at him, "No touching."

When I looked back up to find the mysterious blonde again, she was talking to the prince. I felt a little disappointed to have lost her attention, but reminded myself that the night had only just begun.

Zoie

"What was that," Castor asked with a laugh.

I pulled myself out of my daze to look at him, "What?" I cleared my throat, surprised at how husky my voice sounded. "What are you talking about?"

He rolled his eyes, "Don't play innocent. The temperature went up about ten degrees in here, you didn't think I'd notice? You were undressing that dancer with your eyes." I blushed and ducked my head. He leaned a little closer, "She's a Succubus."

I looked up, "Really? How do you know that?"

"Did you not see her eyes," he asked, then smirked. "Well, I guess your eyes were a little south of that area, huh?"

I elbowed him, hard. "Shut up."

He laughed and shrugged it off, "Best sex you'll ever have."

I turned to him, "You haven't..." I nodded towards the platform.

"With her? No. I don't think I've ever met her before."

I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding, then looked back at the girl. She was dancing with the blonde next to her, now. It made me a little jealous, but I just couldn't look away.

The performers continued to dance for another half hour or so and I watched her as much as I could while being forced to mingle with other Fae. I somehow lost Castor in the crowd without realizing, being as distracted as I was. Every once in a while, I would catch her gaze again and we'd hold it until one of us was forced to look away. When the dancers left the platform for a break, I decided I needed to find this woman. I had to know who she was.

Anna

As we left the platform, I searched the crowd for the blonde, but Rachel pulled me aside.

"Nice touch with the eyes," she said, "you really got their attention."

I gave her a confused look, then realized my eyes still hadn't changed back. "Yeah, right..." I hadn't even noticed that most of the crowd had been focused on me. I only noticed her.

"You should probably turn them off for now, though," she said, "We have to socialize."

I nodded and brought myself back under control. I had never had someone have this kind of affect on me.

"Don't look, now," Rachel whispered all of a sudden, "but the prince is coming straight towards us."

A few seconds later I heard a voice behind me, "Ladies."

I turned around to come face to face with Prince Castor. Rachel and I quickly curtsied.

"Your Highness," we spoke in unison.

He smiled, "Please, call me Castor. And may I ask your names?"

"I'm Anna," I answered, nervously, "and this is Rachel."

"It's an honor to meet you, your high- I mean, Castor," Rachel caught herself.

"The honor is mine. You two were fantastic."

"Thank you," we both replied.

"If your friend doesn't mind, Anna, I'd like to steal you for a moment. There's someone who would very much like to meet you." He looked to Rachel, "Is that alright?"

"Of course," she said quickly, "I'll see you two later. Have a good evening, Castor."

"And you as well, my lady," he said with a nod, then turned his attention to me. "You've made quite an impression, Anna," he looked past me and into the crowd, "Ah, there she is, now. Follow me."

I raised my eyebrows, wondering who the prince wanted me to meet so badly. I turned around to follow him, and stopped as he walked straight up to the blonde I had been watching all night. I swallowed and walked over. She gave me a soft smile.

"Anna, I'd like you to meet my sister, Princess Zoie," Castor said and I just about fainted.

"P-princess?" I stuttered then quickly caught myself and curtsied. "It is an honor, your Highness." Shit.

Zoie

I almost laughed at her reaction, but bit my lip. When she looked up again, I offered her a smile, "Just call me Zoie. It's very nice to meet you, Anna. You're a wonderful dancer."

"Thank you... Zoie," she said, hesitantly.

Castor lifted two wine glasses from a passing serving tray and handed one to Anna and one to me. "If you'll excuse me, ladies, I have some business to take care of." He bowed his head and left.

Obviously, knowing my status made the woman nervous, because she wouldn't make eye contact with me. I watched as she took a long drink of wine.

"The wine is, uh, it's delicious," she said.

I smiled, "Well, I've been told we have casks upon casks of it, so you can slow down, you know?"

She let out a small laugh, "I'm sorry, I'm just... I mean, I've never met anyone royal before."

"You're not missing much," I told her.

She laughed again, and I came to the conclusion that I absolutely loved her laugh.

"Do you want to get out of here?" I asked her, hoping she'd say yes. Maybe if we weren't around all these people I could get to know her.

When her eyebrows shot up and she choked on her wine, I knew I had used the wrong phrasing.

"Oh, no! I-I didn't mean it like... that. I just thought we could get a bottle of wine and go somewhere... to talk..." I shook my head at my stupidity. "I'm really sorry."

Once she'd gathered herself, she smiled, "It's okay. I would really love to but I'm working right now," she explained but then looked around. "Actually, you know what? I don't think my boss would care if I snuck out to hang out with the princess... but don't you have to stay for the celebration?"

I shrugged, "It's my birthday party... I can leave whenever I want."

Anna's eyes went wide, "Oh, wow, I didn't even say 'happy birthday', I'm sorry."

"Well, you'll just have to make it up to me. Come on."

Anna

I had followed Zoie through the palace to the wine cellar to pick out two very rare and expensive bottles of red wine, then we snuck out of the palace through the kitchen. I was in shock that the gorgeous princess of Aethevia wanted to skip out on a party in her honor to sit and talk to me.

We walked to the edge of the cliff the palace sat on.

"There's a bench, over here," she said as we walked in the moonlight. "I like to come out here at night. The stars and the sea are beautiful."

I looked up into the night sky and smiled. There wasn't a cloud in sight, giving us an unblemished view of the moon and stars. "It is amazing."

We talked about random stuff for an hour, finishing half a bottle of wine in the process. I told her about some crazy adventures Rachel and I had had, and she told me about what it was like growing up with a brother like Castor.

The conversation started to get deeper once we'd opened up the second bottle.

"Did you ever know your parents," Zoie asked after I told her I'd been an orphan.

I shook my head, "No. I was left on the doorstep of an elderly couple, but they had both died by the time I was thirteen."

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "You're very strong for surviving through that, Anna. It's admirable."

I gave her a smile, "It wasn't so bad. So, what about your parents? I mean, I know your father is the king, but what about you mother?"

"My mother died when I was very young, I don't really remember her. She was an Oracle. My father told me that the visions were what killed her."

"Wow, I'm really sorry." I swallowed, not sure if I should ask the next question, but I did anyway. "Is that what you are? An Oracle?"

She turned her head to me with a smile and a quick role of her eyes, "Has no one ever told you that it's rude to ask that question?"

I returned the smile, "Has anyone ever told you it's rude to sneak out of your own party?"

Zoie laughed and raised her wine glass, "Touche," she said before taking a drink. Her smile faded, "I was born an Oracle, yes. But when the visions started, my father took my ability away. I was fifteen."

"But... I heard that's one of the most painful experiences a Fae can go through."

She nodded, "You've heard right. I... I passed out. It feels like every nerve in your body is being... ripped from you," she whispered.

I swallowed, not even wanting to imagine it. "That's... horrible... your own father..."

Zoie looked at me with tears in her eyes. "He did it so I would survive, he didn't want me to go through what my mother had to. I've accepted it."

"So does that mean... you're not Fae?"

She shook her head and wiped her eyes, "No. He took away my ability and gave me a new one. He made me a Mesmer."

I raised my eyebrows, "You're a Mesmer?"

"I am."

"Can you make me do something?"

She furrowed her eyebrows in a cute, confused expression. I wanted to lighten the mood, so I set down my wine glass on the grass and turned my body towards her.

"You want me to make you... do something?"

"Yea... as long as it isn't painful," I joked, then put on a serious face. "I trust you."

She tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Okay."

Zoie lifted her hands and pushed them outwards. Before I realized what was happening, I was grabbing my boobs. She busted out laughing and I couldn't help but laugh with her.

"Wow. I was not expecting that," I told her.

"Sorry, I had to. Couldn't pass up an opportunity."

I bit my lip, trying to control the intense urge to kiss her right now. "Can I have my hands back, now?"

She quirked an eyebrow, "I stopped controlling your hands a minute ago. That's all you." She started laughing again.

"Okay, that is some really good wine."

She nodded, grinning, "Indeed." She looked away and then back at me, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Sadly enough, this is the best birthday I have had in... I don't even know how long," she admitted in a soft voice.

I reached up and ran a hand over her cheek, seeing her aura flare. This was the perfect moment. I knew I was a little drunk, but I had wanted to do this all night, and I knew she wanted this to happen, too. I licked my lips before starting to lean in. I had never anticipated a kiss so much in my life. She closed her eyes and I-

Bo

I was pulled out of the memory so fast I couldn't even take in my surroundings. Everything was blurry, my mind disoriented. I covered my face with my hands.

"Bo," I heard someone say but their voice seemed distorted. "Bo," they repeated and I realized it was Kenzi.

I opened my eyes, seeing I wasn't in Limbo or my house. I was in Trick's apartment at the Dal, with Kenzi, Dyson and Trick all staring at me.

"What... what the hell?" was all I could say. Then I noticed someone was missing. I looked all around the room, then jumped off the couch, making them all back up a few steps. "Where's Lauren?"

Kenzi put up her hands. "Bo, calm down. You were in Limbo... I found you passed out and called Dyson. We brought you here, and Trick did the ritual thing to bring you back."

"Where is Lauren," I asked her again and she shook her head.

"You were the only one there. Lauren was gone."

I looked at the three of them then ran for the stairs, taking them two at a time. When I entered the bar, I stopped dead, recognizing a now familiar blonde.

I walked up to her, not believing my eyes. "Rachel?"

She looked me up and down. "Unfortunately, i am pretty sure you've got the wrong person... My name is Tamsin," she said, "And you are...?"

I blinked and shook my head, thinking I was still disoriented. "Uh, I'm... Bo..." At this point, I didn't know who the hell I was.

She shrugged. "You can call me Rachel, if you're partial to the name," she said before leaning in, "I've had girls call me many things in bed."

I looked into her green eyes, "You know, a week ago I totally would have gone for that."

She sighed, "If only i had a time machine."


	24. Chapter 24

Bo

When Rachel... no, when Tamsin said 'time machine', I snapped out of my daze, realizing what I was supposed to be doing.

"I have to go," I said abruptly, turning around and almost smacking right into Kenzi. "Jesus, Kenz," I breathed. My mind was in fifty places at once.

"Bo, we need to talk," Trick said from where he stood next to Dyson.

I shook my head, "Not now, Trick. I have to find Lauren." I looked to Kenzi, "Do you have my keys?"

She nodded, pulling them from her pocket, "I followed Dyson here." She leaned towards me and said in a low voice, "I figured you might want a quick getaway."

I grabbed them from her and started for the door. "Are you coming," I called back over my shoulder and she hurried to catch up.

Once we were in the car, I took a deep breath and tried to collect myself. "Why would you call Dyson? You know that him and Trick weren't supposed to know about this."

"Bo, I came home to find the door wide open. You were laying, passed out, in the middle of the room and the Doc was nowhere to be found. What the hell was I supposed to do?"

I gave her a confused look, "You thought Lauren did that?"

She shrugged dramatically, "I don't know. I mean, it's a possibility that she might've gone all super-Fae on you and fled the scene."

I shook my head, "She would never hurt me on purpose."

"What do you mean, 'on purpose'? So it was her who did that?"

"You don't understand, Kenzi," I said putting the key in the ignition. The first place to look for Lauren or a clue as to where she was would be the Crack Shack.

Lauren

The first thing I felt after being ungraciously pulled from Zoie's memory was the throbbing in the back of my head. I went to rub the injured spot to check for swelling, but I couldn't move my arms. My hands were bound.

My eyes snapped open and I looked around the empty room. I concluded from the cold dampness in the air that I had to be underground. Though, I couldn't discern whether the wave of nausea that came over me was from panic or a possible concussion. Most likely it was both.

Then I remembered the Sandman who had shown up at Bo's. I had naively chalked up his appearance to Castor trying to speed up the process of getting both me and Bo to Limbo. Bo...

She had been passed out. What if she was tied up somewhere like me?

I struggled to sit up on the concrete floor, which proved to be a challenge as I realized not only were my arms bound, but my ankles, too. I looked around the room again, but I was in here alone. Maybe they had just taken me. I hoped that was the case, at least. If something had happened to Bo because of me... I didn't want to think about it.

Instead, I focused on the rope binding my limbs. It was very tightly wrapped, cutting off circulation to my hands and feet, which were almost completely numb and the room I was in was completely empty, leaving me with no tools to escape. I let my head fall back and did the only thing I could think to do. I screamed for help.

Bo

When I got to the house, I immediately yelled for Lauren, running to check upstairs, and then down in the basement, but she wasn't there.

"Maybe we should've asked Dyson for help," Kenzi said. "You know, since he's like a bloodhound when it comes to Fae."

I shook my head, "I don't think he'll help us."

"Well, that is bullshit," Kenzi exclaimed. "He totally owes the Doc for saving his wolfy ass in Limbo. I'm calling him." She pulled out her phone and started dialing.

I knew where we had to go next. But before I went to the Morrigan, I needed to arm myself. As I headed towards to stairs, I heard Kenzi yelling at Dyson through the the phone.

"Listen, dude. I get that you're part dog and all, but you need to quit being a little bitch and get your ass over here, now."

My eyes went wide as she was silent for a second.

"Thank you," she said before hanging up the phone.

I shook my head in disbelief, "Kenzi... you are awesome."

She beamed, "I know." She walked over to me and put her hands on her hips, "So, where to, boss?"

Lauren

After yelling for five minutes, I took a break because I started feeling lightheaded and I knew passing out wouldn't be good for my concussion.

It was hard to believe that only this morning I had fought those two Derilochs. This was definitely the longest day of my life. Then again, I had no way of telling what time it actually was.

My stomach growled loudly and I cursed myself for not eating at all that day. Plus, I had only drank wine, which only further dehydrated my body. At this rate, I'd probably pass out within a few hours. But when I thought about it, maybe it wasn't such a bad thing. If I was unconscious, I'd go to Limbo, and Castor might be able to help me.

Bo

I entered the Morrigan's office and went straight up to her desk, slamming my hands down on the surface and leaning over it. I looked her dead in the eye.

"Where is she," I said, trying to keep my voice steady and calm but failing horribly.

Evony raised and eyebrow, "What? Did you lose your pet?" She leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs, "Pesky little humans... always running off."

"Uh, hello," Kenzi said from behind me, and raised a hand, "I'm right here."

"That's nice, dear," the Morrigan drawled, not breaking eye contact with me. "So, I guess you're looking for the doctor?"

I stared at her expectantly. I definitely was not in the mood to chat.

She tilted her head, "Someone nabbed her up already? The Unaligned really isn't all it's cracked up to be, is it?"

"Cut the shit, Evony. Where is Lauren," I growled, resisting the urge to strangle the woman.

"I don't have her, Succubitch," she said, her voice dropping a few octaves.

Kenzi's phone rang and she answered. "What's the deal, D-man?" I turned and watched while she listened. "Got it, thanks." Kenzi looked to me as she put away her phone. "Dyson found Sandman dust by the door."

"A Sandman? Interesting," Evony said quietly.

"What do you know," I asked her.

She rolled her eyes, "Isn't it obvious?" When neither of us said anything, she shook her head and sighed, "You really are hopeless."

"Just fucking tell me what you know," I said, raising my voice.

She reached a hand up and rubbed her temple, "Whoever took your doctor didn't want her harmed. At least, not until they got what they wanted."

I mentally kicked myself for not coming to this conclusion earlier, "Where's Vex?"

Evony scoffed, "Am I supposed to do everything for you? Besides, I haven't seen Vex since we found out he was human. I don't keep food as pets, honey."

I clenched my jaw and turned around to Kenzi, "Let's go."

As we walked back to the car, Kenzi asked, "So, what happened in Limbo?"

I couldn't help but let out a little laugh, "You're not going to believe this but... Lauren and I went back to our past lives."

"No shit?"

I shook my head, "It was like we were actually Anna and Zoie. I saw and felt everything Anna did. And Lauren was a Fae princess."

Kenzi stopped in her tracks, "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"That's awesome." She started walking with me again. "Who were you?"

I opened the car door, "A freakin' stripper."

Kenzi bursted out laughing, doubling over. I just stood watching with my arms crossed over my chest. After about a minute, she straightened back up, wiping tears from her eyes. "Oh, God... that... that is priceless."


	25. Chapter 25

im really glad you guys like the story! i know im not the best writer but thanks for reading and reviewing, it means a lot.

Bo

Dyson was still at the house when Kenzi and I went inside.

"Did you find anything else," I asked him.

He shook his head, "Both her scent and the Sandman's disappear at the driveway. But I looked at the tire tracks and it seems he took a left pulling out of here."

I sighed, "Thanks for trying." I turned around to Kenzi. "Time for plan C. Knock me out."

She quirked an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"I need to get to Limbo. Cas-," I caught myself before saying Castor's name in front of Dyson, "the Fae might know where she is."

"So, you're trusting him, now," Dyson said from behind me. "How long have you been communicating with him?"

I looked back, "It isn't the time. Lauren is in danger and I have to find her. Now, please, someone knock me out, already."

"I'll do it, as long as you answer a few questions when this is over," Dyson offered.

"I'll let you ask them, but I'm not making any promises. And watch the face when you do it," I closed my eyes and faced Dyson.

"Sit on the couch," he said and I opened my eyes. "I'm not going to hit you."

I gave him a suspicious look but moved to sit on the couch.

He came around to kneel in front of me, "Relax." He put a hand on my shoulder then squeezed.

I looked at him expectantly, then passed out.

I awoke, relieved to see the concrete room, and hurried to my feet. "Castor!"

"You don't need to yell," he said from behind me, "I brought you here, therefore I'm aware you're here." He walked to stand in front of me, "Your friends pulled you out of the memory, didn't they?"

"Yes. But that's not why I'm here. I need to find Lauren. She's been kidnapped."

"Damn it," he cursed. "Do you know by who?"

I furrowed my eyebrows, "I was hoping you could tell me..."

Castor closed his eyes and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, "You've overestimated my abilities it seems. I can see places I know, like your house and the Dal Riata. I can follow people that way, but if they don't start out where I can see them... it's not like I've installed tracking devices in you both." He removed his hand, cursing again, "If she dies, this will have all been for nothing. Do you realize how many times I've attempted this? I thought this time..." he trailed off.

"You've done this before," I asked, confused. "What happened?"

"It's always something... last time you both were human, about a hundred years ago... let's just say one of you ended up in an asylum, and underwent electroshock therapy."

"What the hell?"

He shook his head. "Not important. So you've no idea who took her?"

"My guess is Vex."

"The former Fae?" I nodded and he held up a finger, "Hold on for a minute." And then he disappeared.

I stood in the empty room awaiting his return. He appeared a few minutes later.

"I can't find him," he said with a shake of his head.

"What you said earlier about if she dies... can't you bring her back? Like before?"

"I don't have the ability to raise the dead. What I used before was a life essence. My last one."

Suddenly, his eyes turned white and he reached out his hand. In a flash of light, an unconscious Lauren appeared on the floor.

Lauren

I woke up in Bo's arms in Limbo, my legs and hands free of their bounds. I had finally been able to fall asleep.

"Lauren, thank God," she said, looking down at me with a smile. "Do you know where you're being held?"

I shook my head. "All I know is it's underground, and I'm tied up. I can't get out and so far I haven't seen anyone."

She helped me up and I looked to Castor, "Can you help me?"

He nodded, "Did they use rope?"

"Yes."

"That's a quick fix," he looked to Bo, "You might want to stand back."

She walked to the other side of the room, keeping her eyes on me.

Castor extended his hand out towards me and closed his eyes, a look of deep concentration taking over his features. Wisps of orange and red energy flowed from his fingers, directly into my chest. I felt waves of energy coarsing through my body, accompanied by a slightly uncomfortable pressure.

Once he dropped his hand and opened his eyes again, I took a deep breath.

"What did you do," I asked him as he sat down in a chair I hadn't noticed before, seemingly drained.

He inhaled slowly, "I gave you the ability of a Fion... A fire Fae."

"So I'm not a Mesmer, anymore?"

"You have the abilities of both," he explained. "We'll continue this conversation later. Right now, I'm going to send you back, Lauren, before whoever has you does anything," he looked over at Bo, "I'm going to follow her and see if I can find out where she is, then come back. You'll wait here."

Bo nodded and walked over to me, "Be careful."

"I'll try," I told her with a small smile. "I'll see you soon." I turned to Castor and he nodded, putting a hand over my eyes.

I was back in the empty room, my head still throbbing unpleasantly. I opened and closed my hands, trying to regain blood flow. Maneuvering my fingers so they were touching the rope, I focussed on trying to burn through it. Within a few seconds I could smell smoke, so I started to pull my arms apart. The rope finally burned all the way through and I pulled my arms free. I took a second to stretch them, feeling the soreness in my muscles, then quickly untied the rope around my ankles.

I ran to the door, which to my surprise wasn't even locked. This either was a trap or my captor had not anticipated my ability to escape.

I slowly opened the door to a dimly lit hallway. Looking both ways I saw the coast was clear. It occurred to me that this was all seeming way too easy. I started tiptoeing down the hall, then heard voices coming from up ahead.

Quickly, I went back into the room and closed the door, backing into the corner that would be hidden if they opened the door. I held my breath, listening to the approaching footsteps. It took a little over a minute for them to come close enough to hear what they were saying.

"Once we collect this bounty we'll be set for life," I heard a man say. "I still think you should've snagged the Succubus, too, though." The door handle turned and I backed up, flattening myself against wall as the door opened.

"What the fuck?!" The man yelled. "I thought she was a Mesmer! Did you pick up the wrong bitch, Max?!"

"He said the blonde one! She was the only blonde one there," the second man, Max, said.

"Look at the ropes! Last time I checked, Mesmers can't burn shit."

I heard them walking back towards the doorway and my muscles tensed.

"You take that way and I'll go this way. The ropes are still smoking, so she can't have gone far. Let's go."

I heard them take off either way down the hall and finally let out the breath I had been holding. I didn't have much time, but if I took one out, I should be able get out of here without running into the other.

Quietly, I walked out from behind the door and risked a look down the hall, then started to make my way to the end. I looked around the corner slowly and spotted one of the men walking out of a room, a knife clutched in his hand. I quickly took control of his hand, making him drop the knife then wrap his fingers around his throat before he had a chance to yell out. Keeping control, I approached him, watching as he gasped, his face bright red and sweaty. I wasn't going to kill him, I was just going to wait for him to pass out. I almost lost control when I heard someone descending a nearby stairwell. I was about to attempt using my new Fion ability when Bo appeared at the bottom of the steps. I gave her a quick smile then turned back to the man.

She walked up behind me, "Looks like you've got things under control here..literally."

The man's eyes rolled into the back of his head and finally collapsed, unconscious. I lowered my hand and turned around.

"How'd you get here so fast?"

"This place is seriously only a mile from the shack. And i pushed the beast to seventy."

"There's another one, somewhere," I whispered.

She nodded, "Let's get out of here."

Bo

I had led Lauren out of the warehouse and to the car without incident. Once we had been driving for a few minutes, she finally spoke, "They were bounty hunters, Bo."

I glanced over to her and then back to the road. "Well, next time we'll be prepared, okay?"

"The way they were talking about the bounty... it must be a lot of money... meaning there will probably be a lot more."

"Maybe we can find a place to hide out for a while... just until we find out who's behind this."

She sighed, "They're not after you, Bo. Just me."

I shook my head, "That doesn't matter."

"It puts you and Kenzi in needless danger because of me. So, yes, it does matter."

I pulled into the driveway and parked, turning off the car. Turning towards her, I put a hand over hers. "I know the past few days have been... crazy," I whispered. "But it'll get better, you'll see."

I watched her swallow, staring at her hands. "What if it doesn't get better, Bo? What if they keep coming?"

"We will get through this. All I want, Lauren... is to be with you, and only you... no matter what happens." I got out of the car and went around the the passenger side, opening the door. She stepped out of the car and looked at me. Tears rolled down her face.

"What is it," I asked, afraid of what she might say.

She inhaled shakily, "You know how much I've wanted to hear you say that?"

I smiled, "Hopefully as much as I've wanted to say it." She bit her lips with a conflicted look, and my smile faded as she shook her head.

"We can't, Bo," she said, looking to the ground. "I... I want to be with you more than anything, but," she was losing her battle not to cry and it was hard to watch. She swallowed and took a quick breath, "I can't be what you need me to be."

"What? That isn't true, Lauren. Don't say that."

"It is true. Feeding from me hurts you," she said.

"That was one time," I told her, shaking my head. "And it wasn't your fault. There's no way we can know that it'll always have that effect on me... unless we try again," I leaned a little closer, "Let's try again... Please?"

Lauren stared into my eyes and I could see her fear, "What if I hurt you worse this time?"

"You won't," I assured her. I reached up, lacing my fingers through her hair and pulling her lips to mine before she could protest. Gently, I started to pull her chi from her body...


	26. Chapter 26

very sorry about the delay. lot of papers and exams. college is a bitch haha. still updating by phone so i did as much as i could. hopefully ill be able to post more in the next few days. thanks for reading and reviewing.

Bo

"Back so soon?"

I opened my eyes to see Castor standing over me and quickly got up off the floor. "How'd I get here?" I asked him.

He tilted his head with a odd expression, "Apparently, feeding from Lauren isn't a good idea."

"Oh, no..." I whispered. "I fainted? Again?" I looked over at Castor. "Why is this happening?"

"I don't know."

"But you said you've done this before."

He shook his head, "Just because your soul is reincarnated doesn't mean you come back as a Succubus, or even Fae, every time. In fact, this is the first time you've actually been a Succubus, since Anna."

"So you can't stop it?"

"I can't," he said. "Did you have another vision?"

"If I did, I don't remember." I took a deep breath, "Do you think she's trying to tell me something? Anna, I mean."

"There's only one way to know that. Maybe once you find out what happened back then, it'll stop."

I nodded. "I have to get Lauren."

"If you can avoid being pulled out of the memory, that would help," he said.

"But there's a bounty out for Lauren and we don't know who's behind it yet."

"I'm looking into it. I'll keep watch while you're both unconscious and pull you out if there are any threats," Castor explained.

"I'll see what I can do, then."

When I woke up again, I was on my couch. Kenzi was sitting cross-legged in one of the armchairs, staring at her phone.

"Kenzi." I sat up and she moved to sit next to me.

"Bo, hey," she said softly. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm fine. How long have I been out?"

"About ten minutes," Dyson said from behind me and I jumped.

"Whoa. You're still here?" I asked, then shook my head, "I mean, um, hi."

"You kind of took off without telling us where you were going earlier," Kenzi explained. "Then Lauren came in all freaked 'cause you passed out in the driveway."

My chest tightened at the thought of what Lauren must've gone through. She had already been so afraid and I had promised her I'd be okay. "Where is she?"

"She's outside," Dyson answered. "What happened, Bo?"

I was already halfway to the door, but stopped and turned to face him. "I can't talk about this right now. I know I said I would answer your questions, and I will. But it's been a hell of a long day. Can we please do this later?"

Dyson sighed, "Fair enough. You'll call me when you're ready to talk?" He walked over to me and we started towards the door together.

I nodded, "And you won't tell Trick?"

"Not yet, at least," he spoke honestly as we went outside. He turned to me, "Please, be careful."

"I'll be fine," I assured him. "See you later, okay?"

"Okay." He walked over to his car and got in. As he pulled out of the driveway, I spotted Lauren sitting in the passenger seat of my car. I took a deep breath, trying to prepare myself for the conversation to come.

I opened the driver's side door and slipped into the seat. Lauren didn't look up.

"You're okay?" she asked, and even though her hair shielded her face, I could tell she'd been crying by her scratchy voice.

"I am okay," I said, then sighed. "I'm so sorry."

"What are you sorry for?"

I shook my head, "I don't know... For putting you through this?"

Silence took over the car for few minutes as I waited for her to say something.

Finally, she spoke softly, "You know, I never really wanted to be Fae, as unbelievable as that may be. I mean, I'd thought about it, of course. It's hard not to when everyday you're surrounded by all these extraordinary, terrifying beings. But I never envied the Fae. Having spent years studying and treating them, I've come to realize that their existence is cold and empty, which is understandable. Living for so long, they lose their... humanity, for lack of a better word. All the power and superiority they hold, they grip it so tightly to them, as if it's all they have... all that matters." She paused, shaking her head but still not looking up. I remained quiet, willing her to continue, knowing she needed to. "A great example is Dyson. Well... was Dyson. Before he met you. He was probably the coldest Fae I had encountered, besides the Ash and the Morrigan. And even though he still was cold and self entitled when it came to me, I could see the change that you caused in him. You and Kenzi." Lauren stopped again when her voice broke. "He really loves you," she whispered.

"Where are you going with this?" I asked, my stomach starting to hurt from all the tension in my muscles.

She lifted her hand and used her sleeve to wipe the tears from her eyes, then looked at me. "The first time I truly wished I was Fae, was the day you were brought to the Ash. The first time I examined you... You tried to hide it, but I knew you were scared. I didn't even know you then, yet I wanted to protect you. You had... have that humanity the rest of the Fae lack. That compassion and humility they see as weakness is your biggest strength, and I could feel it in you that first day. I knew I would fall for you, I knew it would never work, but there was no stopping it," she let out a humorless laugh and turned to look out the window. "I didn't want to stop it, even though I'm supposed to be logical and I have always prided and protected myself with that notion... But then, the impossible happens, and all of a sudden I'm Fae, something that I had started to want, that was always in the back of my mind whenever I was with you. And now, it doesn't even matter. I get to be powerful, to feel somewhat equal... to be free. But the one thing that had made this all seem okay... can never be."

At this point, I couldn't stay silent a moment longer. "Don't give up," I pleaded. "We'll figure this out, okay? We'll go back and find out what happened, we'll fix this-"

"Don't," she said, her voice pained. "Please, I can't ... I can't allow myself to believe that. I have to face this, Bo. We both do." She turned to me with a defeated look, "I want you in my life. I need you in it, to help me keep my humanity. We can't be together, but we can be friends, as hard as that will be. I can't lose you completely."

It became hard to breathe as a lump formed in my throat and I felt hot tears stinging my eyes. I couldn't describe the feeling of despair that filled my body, the acute pain in my chest. I shouldn't be taking this so badly. It was just another obstacle, it wasn't the end. "I will always be here, Lauren. And I won't give up on this, on us," I vowed to her. "We are going to go back. Come on," I opened the car door and stepped out as she did the same, reluctantly.

When we'd finally gotten into bed, it had been almost five in the morning. Lauren hadn't spoken and I didn't push her. The day had drained us both emotionally and physically, so falling asleep didn't take much time.

"This is what's going to happen," I told Castor once we were all in Limbo, "You are going to watch for any threats. But if there aren't any, you still need to pull us out in eight hours. There are some things that I need to take care of. Do we have a deal?"

He looked taken aback, but nodded, "I understand."

"Good," I said, taking the crimson stone he held out. I looked at Lauren as she took a deep breath and without a word, slowly put her fingers atop the stone in my hand.

Anna

"Wake up," Rachel said as she snapped her fingers in front of my face.

I turned to look at her, "I wasn't sleeping."

"You were daydreaming about the princess, again."

"No, I wasn't," I lied and she raised an eyebrow. I put my head in my hands. "Okay, I was."

Rachel let out an exasperated groan, "Anna, it's been three days. You seriously need to get over it already. People like us do not end up with royalty."

I shook my head, "You don't know Zoie. She doesn't think like that."

"Oh, and you know this after only having spent less than three hours with her?"

"Yes."

She rolled her eyes, "Right. Well, good luck with that. I have to go." She walked out of the room and I heard the door to our little house open and close. With nothing else to distract me, I thought back to that night, once again.

Three days ago...

I had never anticipated a kiss so much in my life. She closed her eyes and I leaned in, brushing my lips against hers. My hands came up to cup her face and pull her closer as I deepened the kiss. My heart was pounding in my chest and I could feel my hunger rise. I had to pull away when it got to be too much. Usually I could control it, but the intense want I felt for this woman was something I'd never experienced before.

She opened her eyes slowly, and I could see the blue of my own reflected in hers.

"My gods, you're beautiful," she whispered, then ducked her head with a soft laugh. "Sorry. You were right about the wine..."

"Oh, so I'm only beautiful when you're drunk," I couldn't help but joke, trying to lessen the intensity of the moment.

She looked up quickly, her eyes wide, "No, that's not what I meant... you're always beautiful... I-"

"It was kidding, relax," I cut her off, laughing.

She put a hand over her face, "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm so nervous."

"I make you nervous?" I asked, not able to hide the surprise in my voice.

She uncovered her face and nodded. "You do."

I grinned, "I make the princess nervous."

"You're pretty proud of yourself right now, huh?"

I nodded, "Yes. Yes, I am." I looked down at my hands, "You make me nervous, too, you know."

"Why?"

Before I could answer, I heard someone calling Zoie's name from the direction of the palace. We both turned to look, but it was too dark to see that far.

"That was Castor," she said, turning back to me. "He's probably mad that I left the party." Castor called her name again and she stood up, "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay, I'll be here," I told her.

I watched as she disappeared into the dark, then turned around to look out over the water. I breathed in the salty air with a smile, thinking about the past couple of hours. I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard footsteps approaching from behind. I turned as Zoie appeared from the shadows, and my smiled faded at the worried look on her face.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," she said quickly.

"Is everything alright?"

She bit her lip and shrugged, "I don't really know. I'm sorry, I can't talk about it."

I stood up, "It's okay, no need to keep apologizing. I understand."

She nodded, "I um, I would very much like to see you again... I mean, if that's okay with you. I don't want to assume-"

"I would like that," I said, softly, hoping to calm the flustered princess.

Relief flooded Zoie's face as she smiled. "Alright, then." She started to turn, but stopped, "Your friend is looking for you since the party is over. She's over this way," she explained, "I can show you."

"Okay," I picked up the wine bottle that was still more than half full. "Don't want to forget this," I said holding it out to her.

"Keep it. It'll just go to waste if you don't."

"Oh, well, okay," I stammered, not sure how to take the generosity. Growing up on the streets made me wary of accepting gifts from anyone. It usually meant something was owed in return and I sincerely hoped that was not what Zoie was doing.

She must've seen the change in my demeanor. "I've offended you in some way," she said slowly. "I'm sorry, I thought you might want it. I would keep it, but I'm afraid my celebration has ended. You're not required to accept it-"

"You didn't offend me, I'm sorry," I told her, feeling stupid for even thinking that was what she meant. "Thank you."

A small smile appeared on her lips, "You're welcome."

We headed towards the palace in silence and I soon spotted Rachel standing by the prince.

"I'll see you soon?" Zoie said as we got closer to the others.

I nodded, "Soon. I promise."

When we parted ways, Rachel led me back through the palace to meet Chauss.

"That's where you were? With the princess?" she asked in disbelief. "Chauss was so mad, Anna, I thought you'd finally done it, but now? He's just going to love you more. So not fair."

I shrugged, "I wasn't going to turn down a princess. Would you?"

She laughed, "Gods, no. Even if she wasn't gorgeous, which she is. Once again, not fair." Rachel grabbed the bottle of wine from my hand and read the engraving on the bottle. "You know you're sharing this with me, right?"

I was pulled from my musings and back to the present by a sharp knock at my door. I hurried over to answer it and gasped when I opened the door. "Your Highness," I said and curtsied in a show of respect.

Zoie

The palace had a melancholy air to it that had taken over in the past three days. I sat at my desk, feeling completely helpless and utterly tired since sleep had been hard to come by. Staring at the blank piece of parchment, I once again tried to gather my thoughts.

Castor had been the one to tell me the news. The night had seemed too good to be true, and I should have realized it. But even with all that was happening, I couldn't help the smile that came to my face when I thought of Anna. That such terrible events should coincide with that night weighed on my heart. One minute, I was being kissed by a beautiful woman, and the next, my brother was telling me that a message had come by courier from my father's advisor and lifelong friend, stating that the king had taken ill. At the time, this wasn't so tragic. Castor had the ability to heal, therefore, we hadn't thought much of it.

But when my father had been brought into the palace and Castor tried to heal him, it proved futile. There had been nothing ailing him, as it turned out, yet his life force had been sucked away and he was very weak. The past few days his condition had slowly deteriorated.

"Zoie," Castor said, and I turned to find him standing in the doorway to my room. "I see you're still trying to compose that perfect letter to your paramour," he observed with a smile. "How is that going?"

I rolled my eyes and stood up. "Did you just come by to taunt me or is there a real reason you're here?" I asked, actually hoping for the former.

"Well, I was eager to see if you've formed a hunchback from sitting at that desk for endless hours. I'm not sure if I should be relieved or disappointed to see you standing rather straight," he mused.

"Clever," I said, glad for the levity that had been lacking in our conversations lately.

Castor shrugged, "Well, I do try." He sat down on my bed. "I'm sorry you didn't get to fully experience the Succubus. I'm sure it would've done wonders for you."

"Dear gods, Castor. Must everything be about sex with you?" His quips about Anna were starting to grate on my nerves. Of course, she was attractive and when I had gotten sleep over the past few days, her appearances in my dreams were no doubt less than innocent. But sex was only part of what I wished from her.

He sighed, "You worry me, Zoie. Being shut up in here... I know it's been hard, but you should go outside. Visit the gardens or play with your bow. It'll do you good. Maybe bring some inspiration, yes?"

I smiled, even though he said the words in jest, I knew he really did care. "You know, you could be onto something. Perhaps I will."

"That's the spirit," he proclaimed, happily, and hopped off the bed. "I'll leave you to it. I've got some things to take care of outside the walls. I'll be back soon." With that, he left the room.

About a half hour later I was dressed and ready to venture outside. Bow in hand and a quiver full of arrows strapped to my back, I headed towards the cliffs behind the palace. I took the path down to the small expanse of beach below, where Castor and I had spent much of our childhood, swimming and sparring with wooden swords when we could escape the watchful eyes of our father's guards. When I was around sixteen and Castor was twenty-two, he had crafted targets from wood and tied them down beneathe the water so they buoyed on the surface, acting as moving targets for practicing archery. Even now, every spring he'd make new ones for me to set up, though he rarely used them. I smiled as I remembered the countless hours we'd spent here, how unburdened we were in our youth. This place always brought serenity to me, and right now it was the most welcome feeling I could imagine.

I took an arrow from the quiver and lined the notch up against the string. I pulled it back, raising the bow to prepare my shot. The waves were calm, so I eyed the furthest target, taking a deep breath, closing my eyes. For some reason, as I felt my thoughts slip away, the image of Anna came to mind. I smiled, opening my eyes again, I exhaled and released.

Anna

Castor had been standing at my door, and he asked me to accompany him to the palace. I agreed, of course, since it would be madness and possibly punishable by death to refuse a prince. I honestly didn't know much about how politics worked.

As we walked across the palace grounds, I wasn't sure if I should ask what was going on. He hadn't said anything about what exactly we were doing. Only some small talk about the area I lived in on the carriage ride over. I hoped to see Zoie, but I didn't know whether it was proper to ask his intentions. Once again, it might be punishable by death.

We reached the cliffs and he walked to the edge, looking down. I was a little afraid to get too close to the edge so I stayed back a few feet.

"Perfect," he said then turned to look back at me. I raised my eyebrows in question and he explained, "Zoie wanted to see you, but sometimes she needs a little push." He pointed to his left, "There's a path that leads down there. It's a bit steep, but I'm sure you can handle it, right?"

"Yes, um, thank you, your Highness," I said with a curtsy.

He laughed, "Good day, Anna." He spun on his heel and walked back towards the palace.

The path was, indeed, steep. I wished I'd worn better shoes. In the sandals I wore now I could barely find purchase on the rocks as I slowly descended the cliff side. Luckily, I made it to the bottom without incident. I spotted Zoie standing on the beach and stopped to watch as she raised her bow, an arrow in place. My eyes ran over the bunched muscles in her arms, and I felt my hunger start to take over. Her hair blew around her face in the light breeze as she let go and the arrow flew across the sea and smacked the dead center of a wooden target floating atop the waves.

"Wow," I said, "Impressive."

I clearly startled her, because she was about to aim another arrow, but spun so the bow was pointed to me. I raised my hands and stepped back, only to catch my sandal on a rock and fall backwards onto my ass.

"Shit! Anna," she squeaked, dropping the bow and arrow and running over. "Are you okay? I am so sorry."

"I'm okay," I told her, trying to get up, then winced and sat back down. "On second thought, I'm going to just sit here."

"Why? What is it?" she asked.

"Um, I think I broke my ass..."

I watched as she bit her lip and tried not to laugh. "Well, I hope not. It was a nice one."

"I'd like to think so," I said with a smile.

"Seriously, though, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, promise." I took the hand offered and she pulled me to my feet. "So, do you give lessons?"

She raised her eyebrows, "Lessons?"

"Yea. In archery," I clarified, pointing to the discarded bow that lay in the sand a few feet away.

"You want me to teach you?" she asked, then furrowed her brow, "Wait... How did you get past the guards?"


	27. Chapter 27

so so sorry its been so long since the last update, but the semester is finally over so ill have more time to update this. thanks for reading and reviewing, and im sorry about this chapter, it had to be done, dont hate me =)

Zoie

"He just showed up at your home?" I asked Anna, embarrassed by Castor's forwardness, yet still grateful he was able to do what I was too nervous to do myself.

She nodded with a smile, "I suppose you had nothing to do with that?"

"I had no idea. I'm sorry if it was... unsettling. He means well."

"Oh, I know. I'm glad he came. I wanted to see you again, and I don't think I'd be able to get past the guards by myself. I mean, if I used my powers on them, it'd be punishable by death, right?"

I stared at her for a few seconds, unsure of what to say. "Well, it would depend on the circumstances. They're the king's guards, so I suppose..."

"Thought so. Anyway, I hope I'm not bothering you. I can go, if you want-"

"No," I said quickly, then added, "I wanted to see you, too."

Anna smiled wide and stepped closer to me. "Good to know I'm not the only one," she said softly before walking past me and picking up my bow. "It's heavier than I thought it'd be."

I stayed quiet, watching with amusement as she attempted to nock the arrow only to have it slip and fall to the ground when she tried to pull back the string.

"I see you're a natural," I joked, moving to stand next to her.

She tilted her head to the side, "Okay, so I'm not gifted in archery, but I do have other talents."

"You'll have to show me sometime."

She raised her eyebrows, "I'd love to. Now, are you going to show me how to shoot this thing, or what?"

"You really want to learn?"

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't."

I nodded, "Well, first off, your stance is all wrong. You need to spread your legs," I said without realizing how it sounded.

She licked her lips and smirked, "Whatever you say, Princess." She changed her stance and then looked to me for approval.

I cleared my throat, trying to shake the thought of Anna doing whatever I said. "Um, yes, that's good. Now, move your hand down on the bow." I put my hand over hers to guide it. Even the innocent contact made my heart beat faster.

Once her hand was in place, I showed her how to properly nock the arrow then moved behind her, putting my hands over hers to help guide her aim. The position made it so we were practically cheek to cheek, my front against her back.

"Focus on the closest target," I instructed in a low voice and she nodded. "You want to clear your head. Take a deep breath and release when you exhale." I moved to take my hands away and step back. When she didn't give any indication that she understood, I asked, "Are you okay?"

Anna laughed and turned her head slightly, "I'm finding it hard to concentrate around you."

"Anything I can do?"

"I can think of many things you could do, but none of them would help with my concentration." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, seemingly trying to gather herself. She let the breath out and released the arrow. It sailed through the air and hit the outer edge of the target. Her eyes snapped open in shock at the sound of the arrow hitting wood. "I did it!" she exclaimed, turning around and dropping the bow. She threw her arms around my neck and I happily returned the hug.

"You just might be a natural. I didn't hit the target my first time," I told her.

She pulled away, keeping her hands on my shoulders. "Well, you didn't have you as a teacher."

I rolled my eyes out of nervous habit and looked down. When l raised my eyes to her face once more, she was watching me closely.

"I can't stop thinking about you," she admitted.

My stomach fluttered at her words and I felt my face flush. I raised my hand to her face and slowly trailed my fingertips down her cheek. She closed her eyes.

"I can't stop thinking about touching you," she continued in a husky tone. "About you touching me." I saw the bumps rise across her skin as my fingertips travelled lower, sliding down her neck. Her skin was so soft. I swallowed, trying to find my voice.

Leaning closer so my face was only inches from hers, I lay my hand flat against her chest, over her heart. "What about me tasting you?"

I felt her shudder beneath my hand and her grip on my shoulders tightened. "Oh, gods, yes," she breathed before opening her now blue eyes. She stared into my eyes for a few seconds, then set her gaze to my lips as she licked her own. "Has anyone ever told you it's a bad idea to tease a Succubus?"

"Has no one ever told you there's a fine line between teasing and foreplay?" I countered with a smile.

Her hands moved from shoulders to my face in a swift motion and she pressed her lips to mine in a soft, lingering kiss. I let my own hands wander, tracing the curve of her breasts before settling on her waist, pulling her into me so our bodies were flush against eachother.

She broke the kiss, breathing heavily. "Wait. I-I don't know if I'll be able to not..." she trailed off with worry in her eyes which were their natural brown color again. "I usually have better control than this."

"It's okay. You can feed from me," I assured her. "It's not punishable by death." She laughed and I asked, "Do you want to come to my room? It's more private and less... sandy."

She quirked an eyebrow, "Sounds like you've had a bad experience with sand."

"You could say that. It's really not as romantic as it would seem," I muttered, embarrassed and not wanting to elaborate.

She bit her lip, trying but failing to stifle her laughter. "I suppose I'll take your word for it." Anna pulled away and took my hand in hers. "Lead the way."

We carefully walked up the pathway and headed across the palace yard towards the back entrance. We were almost there when Castor appeared with Siamon, my father's advisor's son.

"Zoie, Anna," Castor said in greeting. Siamon bowed his head towards me and then Anna.

"Castor, what, uh, what are you two doing here?" I asked, hoping their sudden appearance didn't have anything to do with my father's condition.

Castor turned to Anna with a smile, "I'm sorry, but I have to steal my sister away for a little," he explained, then gestured to the man to his left, "This is Siamon, a very good friend of mine and Zoie's. He'll keep you company."

"Hello, Anna, pleasure to meet you," Siamon said, extending his hand.

Anna took it, "Pleasure to meet you, too, sir."

"Call me Si," he told her with a smile.

Suddenly, Castor was leading me away. "I'll be back soon," I said to Anna, with an apologetic look and she nodded. I turned back to Castor, "What is it? Is father okay?"

He sighed, keeping a brisk pace as we entered the palace. "He's not any worse from what I can tell. But he's asking to see you."

"Why?"

"He didn't tell me." Castor stopped abruptly, "Vessus and Si are joining us for dinner, once you're done. Anna can come if you'd like."

"Well, we had other plans."

"Come on, Zoie, you can do that all night," he groaned, "Plus, you owe me. If I hadn't gone to her house, you wouldn't have any 'plans'. And if Anna is there, Vessus can't lecture me and Si since Anna can't know about father's condition."

I rolled my eyes, "You're killing me, brother."

He laughed, "You'll survive another few hours."

"Fine. But you need to go back and watch Si. You know how he is."

"Afraid he'll get a piece of the Succubus before you do?"

I set him with a glare. "Don't talk about her like that."

He raised his eyebrows and held up his hands, "It was a joke, Zo, put the claws away. I meant no disrespect. She's a lovely girl."

"Just go," I told him before turning and heading towards my father's quarters.

Anna

It had been over an hour since Zoie had disappeared into the palace. Siamon and Castor had shown me around the grounds, first touring the guards' barracks, then strolling through the expansive gardens. I was happy to be in the fragrant outdoors after suffering through the sour smelling building.

"Why don't we sit down here while we wait for Zoie?" Siamon suggested, putting his hand on the small of my back and guiding me to a pair of benches at the center of the garden. I was able to stop myself from shrinking away at the forward contact. Siamon was an attractive man, tall with dirty blonde hair and bright green eyes, most likely older than Castor, though such things were hard to tell among the Fae. However, he had definitely been flirting with me since we met and I wasn't sure how to react, so I tried to seem oblivious to his advances.

I sat down on the bench and crossed my legs, resting my hands on my knees as Siamon sat down next to me and Castor remained standing.

"Have you travelled much of Aethevia, Anna?" Castor asked, squinting his eyes against the setting sun.

"I grew up in Shali and moved here to the city about ten years ago. Other than that, I've not seen much," I told him.

"Shali is a beautiful village," Siamon cut in. "I was stationed near the coast there for a few months during training. Must have been almost fifteen years ago."

"Well, perhaps we've crossed paths before."

He laughed, "I think I'd remember you."

I knew he was just trying to be charming, but I couldn't stop the momentary look of shock and slight disgust which crossed my features. Fifteen years ago I was only twelve. I quickly looked away to Castor, who grinned, obviously catching onto my distaste. Siamon luckily didn't seem to notice.

"Well, I believe I see Zoie, now," Castor said, beginning to walk away, "I'll go get her."

I turned to see him walk towards the palace, waving at Zoie to catch her attention as she looked out over the grounds. She walked over to him and they stopped after meeting halfway. I couldn't really hear what they were saying but Zoie seemed upset.

"You're a very beautiful girl, Anna," Siamon said suddenly, regaining my attention. He slipped a hand over top of mine and I swallowed as my muscles tensed.

"T-Thank you," I stammered and silently willed Zoie and Castor to hurry up.

"I hear you're a dancer."

I bit my lip and nodded, avoiding eye contact, "You heard right."

He smiled as his thumb brushed lightly over the back of my hand, "Well, I'll have to come see you sometime. Maybe we can have dinner."

My eyes darted to his and my mouth hung open slightly. I wasn't sure at all of what to say. Thankfully, Zoie and Castor returned before I was forced to answer. I looked up at Zoie, hoping to convey my desperation.

"Siamon," she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "I'm sorry, but Anna and I will not be joining you and your father for dinner. I hope you can forgive us."

Siamon removed his hand from mine and stood, "Another time, then?" His eyes lingered on mine before travelling to Zoie's.

I saw the muscle in her jaw twitch as she clenched her teeth while struggling to keep the smile on her face. "Another time."

"C'mon, Si. Your father is waiting," Castor said, putting his hand on Siamon's shoulder. "I'll see you ladies, later. Have a nice evening."

They headed towards the palace and once they were out of earshot I let out a sigh of relief. "So, Siamon is a little... intense," I said.

Zoie walked over and sat down on the bench beside me. "I'm sorry about him."

I smiled, happy to be alone with her again. "You know, we apologize to each other a lot."

"You noticed that, too?" she laughed softly. Now that her face was closer to mine, I could see the redness around her eyes, like she had been crying.

"Are you alright?" I rested my hand on her forearm, unconsciously needing the contact.

"I..." she began, then shook her head. "No. Not really."

"Anything I can do?"

Her lips were on mine before I knew what was happening. I returned it with the same force, my hand snaking behind her neck and threading my fingers through her hair. I moaned into the kiss as her tongue slid against mine. Unlike our previous kisses, this one was more urgent. My hunger came back, full force.

She pulled away and breathed, "Do you still want to come to my room?"

I didn't have to think about my answer. "Yes."

We were in the palace and up the stairs quickly, not letting anything stop us this time. As soon as the door to Zoie's room was closed, I had her up against it, capturing her lips in another searing kiss. I fumbled with the ties of her dress for only a moment before her hands replaced mine, undoing them with deft fingers. She pushed us away from the door without breaking the kiss and guided the way to the bed. She stopped in front of it as we both undressed.

I took a moment to run my eyes over her bare breasts and stomach, feeling the heat build between my legs. Our eyes met and I ran my hand slowly down between her breasts.

"I can't believe this is real," I whispered, more to myself than to her.

A small smile appeared on her swollen lips and she pushed me down onto the bed before climbing on top of me and kissing her way down my neck.

My hunger was becoming incredibly hard to ignore, especially when I felt her hot, wet mouth on my breast, her tongue flicking over my nipple. I couldn't stop the cry that escaped from my mouth. I was so sensitive and raw, everywhere she touched was on fire because of the intense need.

I laced my fingers through her hair and pulled her mouth back up to mine for a kiss, then asked, "Are you sure?"

Suddenly, her hand was teasing my center and my nails dug into her back as she applied more pressure, slipping two fingers inside me.

I wasn't sure how long I could hold onto my control. "Zoie, please," I gasped out.

"I'm sure," she said, looking into my eyes before pressing her lips to mine. I let go and began to feed-

Bo

I was pulled back, once more, to the present. "Are you fucking serious?!" I growled in frustration as I stood up to face Castor.

I couldn't decide which was more stressful in that moment; the throbbing in my head or the throbbing between my legs.

I looked over to see Lauren beside me, her face flushed and breathing shallow. I wanted to continue what Anna and Zoie had started so badly. Clenching my jaw, I fought to rein in my hunger. This was pure torture.

"The wolf showed up at your house. You told me to pull you out if there were any threats. The way I see it, his status has yet to be decided," Castor explained.

I put a hand over my eyes as I imagined punching Dyson in the face. It wasn't his fault, I know, but right now it was hard to think rationally.

I took a few deep breaths, attempting to calm my racing heart. "Okay," I breathed out.

I heard Lauren clear her throat and removed my hand as she began to speak. "I'd like to talk with you for a minute before you send me back, if that's okay, Castor." He nodded and she turned to me, "I'll see you in a little bit."

I was a disappointed and confused as to what she didn't want to say in front of me, but I didn't want to make a big deal about it. "Alright. See you soon."

I woke up in my bed and rolled over, studying Lauren's unconscious form. I felt tears burn the backs of my eyes, but swallowed against the itch in my throat. Carefully, I ran my fingers along her cheek before leaning over and placing a light kiss on her temple.

I heard footsteps ascending the stairs and sat up quickly. I was relieved to see Kenzi enter my room.

"You're actually awake," she observed, stopping to stand in front of the bed. "That's good 'cause I don't know what I would've told Dyson. He's waiting for you downstairs."

I sighed and got out of bed, "He's gonna have to wait. I'm taking a shower." I walked past her and into the bathroom.

"Fine. But don't use all the hot water."

I paused and turned around, rolling my eyes. "Trust me, that won't be a problem."


	28. Chapter 28

shorter update but i'll be posting more either tomorrow or monday. im very happy to see all of you are still reading, theres still a lot to come so hang in there and thank you for the feedback =)

Lauren

"She does remind me of Anna," Castor mused. "Very passionate."

I shook my head, "It's not her fault. Things were becoming... intimate between Anna and Zoie. Bo hasn't actually fed since she gave me her chi." I knew that if I was having a hard time trying to control my arousal then it was probably almost impossible for Bo. Without the shots, she could lose herself to her hunger if she didn't feed soon.

He nodded, "I know, and I'm sorry to hear about your troubles with that, but, as I've told Bo, I don't know what's causing her blackouts. I'm assuming that's why you wanted to speak to me."

"That was one reason, yes. But I also have a few other questions and I hope you'll answer them honestly." He nodded again and I continued. "First, I can't help but notice that the Fae society in Aethevia was advanced, seemingly to the point of the medieval era, though you told me this happened over twelve thousand years ago. How is it possible that I've never seen even a reference to Aethevia? There have to be records of it somewhere."

Castor sighed and shrugged, "We were advanced, yet expeditions to other lands were forbidden. My father and his predecessors made leaving the island a fear, since it was easier to remain in power without interference from outsiders. Those who were made mortal were shipped to the other lands. Then, Aethevia was destroyed, and because it was a secluded island, the records went down with it. The only document from that time, that I know of, is Zoie's message."

I took a moment to process this information before asking, "How was it destroyed?"

"It fell into the sea. Whether by nature or Fae intervention, I do not know."

"Okay," I said slowly, my curiosity not completely sated. I knew there was more he wasn't saying, but I didn't want to push the subject for fear that he wouldn't answer my next questions. "On a personal note, why did you push Zoie to see Anna again after the night of her birthday celebration?"

He furrowed his brow in confusion, "Zoie was shy. I did it to make her happy."

"You didn't find it at all cruel?"

"How do you mean?"

"You were aware that Zoie had been promised to Siamon, even though she didn't know yet. She only found out about it that day. The day you went to Anna's home and brought her to the palace." I ran a hand through my hair, reliving the pain Zoie had gone through upon hearing this from her dying father.

"You may see it as cruel, and I understand that. In hindsight, you are right. But at the time, I had no idea she and Anna would fall in love. I just wanted her to have some fun before..." he trailed off, staring at the floor. "I didn't know what was to come."

I nodded, somewhat seeing his point. "There's one last thing I need to ask of you," I said quietly, not wanting to look him in the eyes as I made this request. "When this is over, I want you to take these abilities away. I want to be human again."

He was silent for an extended period of time. I finally looked at him and he was studying me closely. The same look he gave me the first time we met. "Why?" he asked.

I took a deep breath and said, "Because I don't want to be a fugitive. What you've done, turning me Fae, has caused the Fae to see me and my association to you as a threat. I just want to know if you will do it."

"If it is what you want, after this is over, then I will do as you ask. But I want you to really consider this and also realize how painful a process it is."

I bit my lip and nodded, "I'd rather suffer the pain for a few moments than a few centuries."

Bo

When I got out of the shower, Lauren was still unconscious. I couldn't stop wondering what she was talking about to Castor, but I hoped it was just science-y things she didn't want to bore me with.

I dressed and brushed my teeth before heading downstairs to meet Dyson.

"I told you I would call you when I was ready to talk," I mumbled, still upset by his intrusion. No amount of cold water could dampen the hunger in my gut, and it took a lot to act civil. "What's going on?"

"I'm here because the Ash sent me. He found out about your little talk with the Morrigan about Lauren's abduction," he said then asked, "What the hell were you thinking, barging into the Dark compound like that? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"I thought she had Lauren. I wasn't thinking, and I know it wasn't the smartest move, okay?"

He sighed heavily and nodded. "Well, the Ash has requested to set up a meeting with Lauren as soon as possible. Most likely, he's going to offer her protection," Dyson explained.

I scoffed, "Of course, he is. But you can tell him it's not going to happen. For all we know, he's the one who offered the bounty in the first place."

"I doubt it, Bo. And it's not your place to decide. It's up to Lauren."

My stomach clenched at the thought. I knew that Lauren felt she had to be unaligned and I feared, if given the opportunity, that she would chose to join the Light. I felt my eyes flash as my urge to protect her flared throughout my body. "I know that, Dyson, but I also know that the Light won't hesitate to lock her up if they find out her connection to that ancient piece of paper. There's not really a choice to make at this point."

"And what exactly is her connection to the prophecy?"

"It's not a prophecy and that isn't a picture of Lauren."

"It's not?"

I sighed and sat down on the couch as he took a seat on the armchair. I began to explain about what Castor had told us, leaving out the memories and any actual information about Castor. I could tell by the look on Dyson's face as I spoke that he was finding my story hard to believe. I couldn't really blame him.

When I finished, he remained quiet for a while before saying, "If any of what you've told me is actually true, then we have to tell Trick."

"I get that he should know and all, but he's been acting like Lauren is possessed or something. Right now, I don't trust him or what he'll do and I'm really hoping I can trust you not to say anything, Dyson," I pleaded, knowing that I was asking a lot of him.

He rubbed a hand over his face and shook his head. "You can't trust Trick but you trust this Fae?"

"Yes, I do sort of trust him. He hasn't given me a reason not to, but Trick has. Please, don't tell him."

He opened his mouth to answer but stopped when his cell phone started to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the screen. "I have to go. Tell Lauren to call me if she wants to meet with the Ash." He stood up and started to leave.

"You're not going to tell Trick, though, right?"

"You should reconsider keeping this from him," Dyson said and walked out the door.

I closed my eyes and sank back into the couch, trying to think of my next move.

"Everything alright, Bo-Bo?" Kenzi asked, as she walked into the room and sat down next to me a few minutes later.

"Not even close, Kenz," I told her. "I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing anymore."

She nodded, "You know your eyes are crazy blue, right?"

I groaned and put my head in my hands, wondering if they'd been like that while Dyson was here. "I am so hungry I can barely think straight."

She chuckled and patted my shoulder, "See what happens when you run around giving away your chi all willy-nilly? But I'm sure the Doc could help you with the whole 'not thinking straight' thing."

I lifted my head up to look at her, "Actually, no. She can't."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't feed from her," I said in a quiet voice. "Last night, I tried to. Twice. And both times I passed out."

She tilted her head in confusion, "Why?"

"I don't know."

"Well, then feed from someone else."

"I don't want to feed from someone else, though. That's what I was trying to tell you the other day. I broke up with Dyson because I want to be with Lauren, and now I can't."

"Wow. That does put the 'suc' in 'succubus'," she observed before taking on a serious tone. "I'm really sorry, Bo. But you have to know that she wouldn't want you to starve yourself."

"I do know. I just... I don't want to hurt her anymore than I already have."

She seemed to be lost in thought for a few seconds but then said, "How about I take the Doc to the Dal with me later and you go off and do what you do?"

"You and Lauren hanging out one on one?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. It was no secret that they didn't exactly get along.

"I know, but you're my bestie and I would do anything for you. Besides, getting her drunk could be fun... maybe..."

"I don't know. I don't want her around Trick if I'm not there, especially since she's been healed by Castor. He'll definitely be suspicious. And there's the whole bounty hunter issue."

"We'll put a bandage on her face. And the Dal is a sanctuary, so it's probably one of the safest places for her to be. I'll even get Hale to come with us," Kenzi reasoned. "Don't worry about it, okay? It'll be fine." She stood up and looked down at me, "Are you hungry for actual food?"

I shrugged, "Do we have anything chocolate?"


	29. Chapter 29

Bo

When Lauren finally came downstairs, Kenzi and I were sitting at the counter eating cereal that, unfortunately, wasn't chocolate.

"Hey," I said softly as she walked over and sat on a stool. She smiled and returned the greeting.

Maybe it was just my gnawing hunger, but I sensed some tension. Seeing her wet hair, I wondered if she had had to take a cold shower, too.

"Want some cereal, Doc?" Kenzi asked, picking up the box and shaking it.

Lauren's eyes lit up, "Yes, that would be great. I don't even remember the last time I've eaten."

As she poured the cereal and milk, I realized that I couldn't remember either, but I knew it had to have been over a day ago. I felt disappointed in myself for not paying attention, not taking care of her. In my current state of mind, it just added to the reasons I why I wasn't good enough for her, as stupid as that seems.

I was snapped out of my self depreciation when Lauren asked, "Do you mind if I use your computer after this?"

"No, go ahead," I told her. "Are you going to do research or whatever?"

I noticed right away the awkward smile she put on and the way she averted her eyes, concentrating on stirring her cereal. "Actually, I wanted to look for a new place."

It was another punch in the gut. I swallowed my sudden urge to protest and looked to Kenzi, who quickly shoved a big spoonful of cereal into her mouth as her eyes darted between me and Lauren. I could tell she was waiting for me to freak out.

"Of course," I said, trying to sound indifferent.

"So, what did Dyson want?" she asked, clearly trying to push past the subject of her moving out.

I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest. "The Ash wants to meet with you. He heard about the kidnapping. Dyson thinks he wants to offer protection."

She nodded, "I guess I should call him then."

"Who? The Ash?" Kenzi asked while I clenched my fists.

"Dyson," Lauren clarified. "I'll set up the appointment through him."

"Are you kidding me?" I was so close to freaking out, my voice was shaking.

Lauren finally looked at me, "Bo, it's alright. I know what I'm doing."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to broker a deal with him. There are things that I need from my apartment and the lab at the compound," she explained, calmly.

I couldn't believe she was considering making a deal with a man who enslaved her. "The second you owe him something, he'll own you again."

"I won't let that happen," she said.

I was at the edge now, shaking my head in disbelief. I quickly got up and headed for the stairs, afraid I was about to lose control.

"Bo!" Kenzi called after me, but I kept going up the stairs and into my room. I fell back onto the bed, pressing my palms into my eyes and trying to slow my breathing. I needed to calm down. I also really needed to feed.

Lauren

I put my head in my hands and exhaled slowly, my chest was aching. Bo was just trying to protect me, and I knew that, but she had to understand that I could take care of myself. Staying here and relying on her would put her in danger.

"Wow, Doc, you just keep twisting the knife," Kenzi said. She was right. But she didn't see that the blade went both ways. The more I pushed Bo away, the harder it was to breathe. But I had to do it.

I raised my head up, not sure how to explain myself, not that anything I said would justify hurting Bo when it came to Kenzi.

"The faster I'm out of her way, the better. I know you of all people agree with that," I told her, bitterly.

"No, actually, I don't," she said and stood up. "But right now, it looks like you are intentionally hurting my best friend, and that is not okay."

"I don't want to hurt her, that's not why I'm doing this. She's so damn stubborn and I know she won't let it go."

"Let what go?"

I sighed, "The fact that we can't be together."

"Jesus, Doc. For someone so smart, you are a freaking idiot." I was taken aback by her frustration. Kenzi was the second to last person I'd expect to try and push Bo and I together. She shook her head before continuing, "You're really giving up that easily? Well, Bo won't. She will still fight for you and protect you. That's who she is, and you, me, Dyson, Trick and Hale, we're all she has."

Her words were like a slap in the face. "You're right," I told her, feeling sick and realizing that I had given up. But I hadn't given up on Bo, I'd given up on myself. I'd told Castor to make me human again, which would take away my new freedom and put me back under the control of the Light. What the hell was I thinking?

"I know," Kenzi said in a serious tone. "Now, are you just going to sit there or are you going to go fix this?"

I contemplated this for only a second before getting up. I knew what I had to do, the problem was, I had no idea how to convince Bo that it was the best option.

I started to head for the stairs, but stopped to look back at Kenzi. "Thank you."

She nodded and sat back down to finish her cereal.

When I got upstairs, I found Bo sitting on her bed, hunched over and clutching her hand to her chest, her eyes shut tight with a grimace of pain on her face. I hurried over and knelt down in front of her, "Bo, what's wrong?"

She opened her blue eyes and looked at me for a few seconds. "I lost a fight against the wall," she whispered, nodding towards the fresh hole by the fireplace. "Forgot about the beams..."

"Shit," I breathed, reaching out slowly to take the injured hand, "Let me see?" I carefully pulled it away from her chest and assessed the damage. Her knuckles were bleeding and swollen and she hissed in pain when I gently touched the back of her hand. The metacarpal of her third finger was most likely fractured. "Do you still have that first aid kit I got you? And maybe some aspirin?"

She nodded, "Bathroom cupboard."

I went to get the supplies feeling incredibly guilty. She'd done that to herself because of me, and I couldn't even heal her.

I had cleaned the cuts and bandaged her hand in silence, then explained, "This is only a temporary fix. You need to heal."

Giving me a dejected look before turning away, she nodded.

I sighed, "We need to talk about this." She didn't say anything back. "I'm sorry, Bo. I shouldn't have acted as though your opinion didn't matter. It does." Still nothing. "I want you to come with me... to see the Ash. I know, you don't want me to but... the lab has the equipment I need to run tests, and if I could just figure out why you can't feed from me, maybe I could find a solution."

She finally faced me, her eyes still that incredible blue. "I thought you couldn't allow yourself to think like that." I didn't miss the slight angry tone of her words, but I deserved it.

"I was being selfish," I admitted. "It was too painful at the time to hold onto any hope. These past few days, my life has changed completely and I felt powerless to stop any of it, or at least slow it down. I was only thinking of myself and what I've lost, which I know now, doesn't even matter to me. What matters is that I still have you. We're in this together, right?"

She gave me a small smile, "Right." Biting her lip, she took my hand in her uninjured one. "Are you still going to move out?"

I nodded, "Yes, I am. It's a little soon to be living together, don't you think?"

"I just like having you here," she said quietly.

"I like being here. But it's not like we won't see eachother, Bo."

"I know, but I want you to be safe and if you're not here... Can't you just stay until we handle this whole thing?"

"We'll see, okay?" She nodded. "I need you to do something for me, though."

She gave me a questioning look, "What is it?"

I sighed, hoping this wouldn't upset her, "I need you to feed regularly. And before you say anything, I want you to know, I've accepted it, okay? You don't need to feel guilty."

I saw the hurt in her eyes before she turned away. "That doesn't mean I won't."

I rubbed the back of her hand with my thumb, "We'll go see the Ash tomorrow. Hopefully, you won't have to feel that way for long." I stood up, keeping hold of her hand and helped her off the bed. "We'll get through this," I assured her.


	30. Chapter 30

Bo

It was almost nine o'clock at night when I got to Wired. It was crowded as ever as I waded through the sea of people, holding my throbbing hand to my chest and trying to keep it away from harm. It took a few minutes, but I finally made it to the bar.

Sam was at the other end talking to some guy, but when she saw me she smiled, immediately making her way over.

"Wasn't expecting you back so soon," she said loudly over the music.

I held up my bandaged hand, "I kind of broke my hand."

She winced in sympathy, "Ouch. That looks painful." She looked around the bar then back at me, "The other bartender is running late and I'm slammed right now. You don't mind waiting a little, do you?"

I didn't. It gave me more time to get drunk before I went through with this. "Not at all."

She smiled wide and turned to get a bottle of tequila, placing it in front of me, "Have fun."

Lauren

I couldn't help but feel nervous as I followed Kenzi into the Dal and the decoy bandage on my cheek didn't give me any solace. I'd tried to convince the younger girl I didn't need to drink, that I was fine with Bo going out to feed, but she'd seen right through the lie.

"You'll thank me later," she had said.

Maybe I would.

The Dal wasn't too busy, but it may have just been because of the early hour. We easily found Hale and joined him at the bar.

"Ladies," he said, happily, raising his glass. I could tell he'd already had a few drinks by his relaxed smile.

"You douchebag, you started without us!" Kenzi said as she hopped on a barstool and I took the seat next to her.

"Trust me, your little human body couldn't begin to understand how much alcohol I can take. I've been drinking for centuries," Hale told her. "Now, who's buying the first round?"

"You," Kenzi said to him before turning to me. "Want a shot?"

I shrugged, "Sure."

Bo

I poured some more booze in my glass and stared at it, wondering what Kenzi and Lauren were up to at the Dal. I hoped they were having a better time than I was. Being the girl drinking alone at a bar was getting old. Every two minutes I had to turn down a new Fae.

It had already been an hour since I had arrived, but Sam was still busy, running from one end of the bar to the other, barely getting a chance to stop and take a breath. At this point, I was a quarter way through the bottle. I thought for second that maybe I should slow down, but then felt someone tap my shoulder. I rolled my eyes and slammed another shot before turning around to see a dark haired man smiling at me.

"You want to dance?" he asked, leaning in so he would be heard over the music.

He was handsome but I was dead set on having Sam, who, now that I had a decent buzz going, was looking more like Lauren with each passing minute. "No, but thanks for the offer," I smiled politely and turned back around.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw a familiar face. Looking in that direction, I failed to see it again. I shook my head, ignoring the glass and taking a drink straight from the bottle. I had to be seeing things because I knew that with now being human, Vex wouldn't risk showing his face at a Dark Fae club.

Lauren

I was starting to feel a little drunk. I hadn't really paid attention to how many shots I had done with Kenzi because the girl insisted on doing several different kinds in quick succession. I was standing by the pool table with Hale when Kenzi came up and handed me a drink.

"Here, try that," she said before taking a drink of her own.

"What's in it?" I asked warily, a little put off by it's unnaturally green color.

She tilted her head in thought for a second then replied, "It's like a Fae Long Island. You'll like it, trust me."

I nodded slowly, not knowing what exactly a Long Island consisted of, just that it was a medley of different alcohols. Taking a small sip, I was surprised that it tasted like apples with only a hint of a liquor aftertaste.

"It's good, right?" Kenzi asked. I nodded and she smiled, turning to Hale, "We don't have enough people to play teams." She was referring to playing pool.

"That's okay," I cut in. "You guys play. I'm not very good at it."

"No worries, Doc. We'll ask her to join us. She's playing alone," Hale said, motioning behind me and Kenzi.

We turned around to see a lanky blonde woman play pool at the next table.

Kenzi took the initiative to walk over, so we followed her.

"Hey," Kenzi greeted and the blonde looked up. "We're were wondering if you wanted to play with us. We're a person short for teams."

The blonde's gaze travelled from Kenzi, to Hale and then lingered on me as she blatantly checked me out. Kenzi obviously noticed this, because she looked over at me and raised her eyebrows. I took a long drink to pass the awkward moment.

"Sure, why not," the blonde finally said.

"Great! I'm Kenzi, and this is Hale and Lauren."

The blonde walked over and introduced herself. "Tamsin." She shook Kenzi's and Hale's hand and then mine, her fingers slowly gliding across my palm as she released my hand. I swallowed and looked into her green eyes, wondering why she looked so familiar.

"So, whose team am I on?" Tamsin asked, turning back to Kenzi.

The younger girl smiled and looked over Tamsin's shoulder at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes, then said, "Lauren's."

I stopped myself from glaring at her. "I'm really terrible at pool," I told Tamsin.

She smiled and leaned in, "That's okay, because I'm really good at it. C'mon, partner."

Bo

Sam finally came up to me after another half hour. "Ready to go?"

I nodded, getting off the barstool. I had finished more than half the bottle now, hanging onto my control by a thread.

We hurried through the crowd to the back room where a stairway led up to her apartment. I was doing my best to walk somewhat straight but it was hard.

She laughed and held my good hand as we climbed the steps. "I feel like I might be taking advantage of you."

I shook my head, "Not really, 'cause I gave you the go ahead before I got drunk, so s'okay," I slurred.

"Are you sure?" she asked as she unlocked her door and helped me inside.

"Mhmm," I muttered before grabbing her and kissing her hard.

She kicked the door shut without pulling away and then her hands were under my shirt. "Jesus, baby, you are burning," she breathed against my lips.

I knew she was talking about my desire, what she fed off. For a split second, I wondered if she saw auras like I did, but was pulled back into the moment when she backed away, quickly taking off my shirt before her lips returned to mine once more. A few seconds later, she was shirtless too, and my bra was off and on the floor, her hands covering my breasts.

"She has you all sorts of tied up," Sam murmured, kissing her way down my neck.

I pulled away and pleaded in a rushed whisper, "Don't talk about her." I was trying to hold onto the illusion, my vision hazy with alcohol and arousal.

Falling back onto the bed with her on top of me, I ran my hands up and down her back and she continued her trail down my body, stopping momentarily to pay some attention to each nipple before going further. When her tongue finally arrived where I needed it, I arched my back, pressing harder against her. She gripped my hips to keep me still as she teased and sucked me until I couldn't hold onto my control any longer. Her tongue was replaced by her fingers as she came up to kiss me. I started pulling her chi from her, making sure I didn't take too much. As it entered my body, I felt a new rush of arousal. I was so close.

I threw my head back as her fingers slipped inside me and curled, pushing me over the edge. Coming hard against her hand, I cried out, "Oh, God, Lauren!"

Lauren

Surprisingly enough, Tamsin and I had won against Kenzi and Hale. Of course, she did most of the work. I, myself, only had one successful shot after Tamsin gave me some pointers. I felt my face flush as I thought about how she had pressed up against my back, showing me how to hold the stick and line up my shot correctly. She was definitely flirting and since I had finished my 'Fae Long Island', I was maybe enjoying it too much.

I headed up to the bar for another drink. When I got Trick's attention, I ordered the drinks for Kenzi and I, but stopped him before he walked away. Pulling the Sejan he'd lent me out of my pocket, I held it out to him. "Thanks for letting me borrow this."

He looked at it and said in a hushed tone, "I heard about what happened last night. Maybe it's best if you hang onto that for the time being."

I raised my eyebrows, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, it's fine. I'm sure Dyson won't mind," he said with a smile.

I bit my lip as he walked away. I had been wearing it last night when the Sandman had shown up, and I didn't get any warning. Thinking about it more, I remembered during the trials that I hadn't experienced any prescient feelings, either. It had been due to Bo's chi that my senses had been heightened so I could smell and hear the invisible Derilochs. Before I could think on it further, Kenzi joined me at the bar.

"You okay, Doc?"

I shook the thoughts from my mind, slipping the Sejan back into my pocket. "Yea."

"You aren't sulking over a certain Succubus, are you?"

Trick came back and sat the drinks in front of us as my heart sank. I had been able to distract myself enough the past hour to not really imagine what Bo was doing, or more specifically, who Bo was doing, right now.

"Well, I wasn't, but I am now," I told Kenzi with a small smile.

She nodded, looking down at her drink, then back at me. "So, why did you become a doctor?" she asked out of nowhere.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as she stared at me expectantly. Then I understood what she was doing. "I'm fine, Kenzi. You don't have to try and distract me."

She rolled her eyes, "Humor me."

I took a drink, thinking about the question. I was already drunk, as was she, so I spoke honestly, "I became a doctor because thought if I could help at least one person then my life would have meaning."

She looked away, playing idly with the straw in her drink, a pensive expression on her face. "I wish I was smart enough to help people," she said. "Like how you helped Bo by giving her those shots so she wouldn't be afraid of herself anymore."

I was caught offguard by the sincerity of her words and the sadness behind them. Kenzi wasn't someone who showed her feelings, and it felt oddly good that she let me see her. "Kenzi, you are smart and you did help Bo. Actually, I think you might have saved her life. Not to mention the fact that she probably wouldn't have stuck around long enough for me to find a scientific solution if it hadn't been for you."

She laughed, "Gee, Doc, you're gonna make me cry." Her defences were back up again.

I smiled and ducked my head. "You know, we're kind of alike."

She gave a dubious look, "And why do you think that?"

"Well, you hide behind sarcasm and I hide behind science."

She seemed to think this over for a minute. "Alright, Dr. Phil, what does Bo hide behind, then?"

I contemplated the question even though I already knew the answer. "Nothing," I told Kenzi. "Bo doesn't hide. She's too damn stubborn and brave."

The other girl nodded in agreement and raised her glass, "I'll drink to that."


	31. Chapter 31

Bo

"So, her name is Lauren?" Sam asked as she pulled her shirt over her head.

I froze, midway through pulling my pants back on and turned to look at her. "What?"

"You called me 'Lauren'," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

I focused again on getting dressed and muttered, "I'm sorry about that."

I heard her laugh. "It's okay, Bo. I'm not jealous. This thing we have, it's about feeding, nothing more. You don't have to be embarrassed."

I had already known it wasn't just me using her. We used eachother. In a fucked up way, it kind of made it seem okay. "I know."

"If you ever want to talk about it-"

"I don't. But, thanks," I told her quickly, standing up after pulling on my boots. "I have to get home."

She nodded and walked over, "I'll be here if you need me. Be careful out there."

I gave her a small smile, "You, too."

I left Sam's apartment and headed back into the club, feeling more clear-headed than I had in days, even though I was still a little drunk.

Pushing through the crowd, I was heading towards the exit when I saw him. Vex was here, I hadn't been seeing things. I felt my blood heat up as I watched him slip out through the doors, alone.

Lauren

I was halfway through my second 'Fae Long Island', sitting by myself at a table a few feet away from where Hale and Kenzi were playing pool. Hale looked over at me with a wide smile and winked before turning back towards Kenzi and letting out a low frequency whistle, causing her to ruin her shot.

"You fucking jerk!" Kenzi yelled as Hale laughed. She ran over to the other side of the table and punched him hard in the bicep.

I smiled and shook my head at their antics. Suddenly, my view of them was blocked by Tamsin, who took the seat across from me.

"What happened there?" she asked, pointing at her own cheek. I had forgotten I had the bandage on.

"Oh, um, I was scratched by an under Fae."

She furrowed her eyebrows, "I didn't take you for someone who hung out in the sewers."

I sighed and took a sip of my drink. "It's a long story." She nodded and I asked, "I'm sorry, but you look sort of familiar. Is there a chance we've met before? I work... well, I used to work at the Light compound."

She smirked, "If we have met, it definitely wasn't there. My kind aren't exactly welcome."

In my drunken state, it took me a few moments to realize what she meant. "Oh... you're Dark Fae?"

Tamsin nodded and took a drink from her beer. "And you're Light."

"No," I told her, shaking my head. "Unaligned."

She laughed, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table. "You don't seem like a Succubus to me."

"That's because I'm not."

Giving me a perplexed look, she seemed to be studying me. "You mean there's more than one unaligned Fae?"

"There are two, as far as I know."

"Your boyfriend isn't unaligned?"

It was my turn to be confused, "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Girlfriend, then?"

Bo came immediately to my mind, not that she ever really left. I remembered what we'd talked about earlier. We had agreed that since she would have feed from others, we would hold off from being together so she wouldn't feel as guilty. We'd try to keep things platonic until I found a solution to the feeding problem. If there even was one. I tried to push the thought to the back of my mind. We would cross that bridge if we came to it. Right now, I wanted to hold onto optimism.

"There is a girl," I finally said, "but were not technically together. It's complicated."

"Sounds shitty," Tamsin observed.

I nodded and finished off my drink in a few gulps. 'Shitty' was an understatement.

Bo

My heart was pumping pure adrenaline as I followed Vex. He turned into an alley and I seized the opportunity, running up behind him and slamming him, face-first, into the brick building.

"Fuck!" He cried out as I pressed my forearm against his neck, wrenching his arm behind his back.

"I would have thought you'd be smart enough to avoid dark alleys, you know, now that you're human-"

"Shut the fuck up! Are you trying to get me killed?!"

I let out a harsh laugh. "I'm not going to lie, Vex; I'm not exactly praying for your well-being." I twisted his arm harder and he grunted in pain. "I have to hand it to you, though, you've got guts, hanging out at a Dark Fae club. I can't be the only one who wants you dead."

"Yea, but you're the only one who knows I'm fucking human," he hissed. "If you tell anyone, the Morrigan will probably kill us both."

"What are you talking about?"

"If the Fae hear about that fucking asshole in Limbo taking away powers there will be widespread panic. So keep your bloody mouth shut!"

I honestly hadn't even thought about that before now. "So, you're what? Keeping up appearances?"

He nodded, "Yes."

"Isn't one of your employees, like, a werewolf?"

"That's why I'm not at my club," he answered through gritted teeth.

"Whatever. I'm not here to talk politics."

"Then what the fuck do you want?!"

"I want you to call off the bounty on Lauren."

"Why the hell do you think I'd waste my fucking money on a human doctor?!"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because she has your powers."

"WHAT?!" He screamed, struggling harder against my grip. "That fucking bitch has my powers?!"

"You can't honestly expect me to believe you didn't know."

"I hate to disappoint, love, but I sure as fuck didn't. And even if I had, I'm not bloody stupid enough to fuck with her if she's that goddamn Fae's pet!"

I backed away, quickly turning him around and slamming against the wall again, my hand now gripping his throat. "You sure about that?"

"Yes, I'm fucking sure," he wheezed as his face reddened. "I've been doing all the cocaine I can get my hands on.. I haven't even slept since I saw that fucker!"

I took a closer look at him, and even in the darkness, I could tell he was speaking the truth. "You go anywhere near her and I swear, next time you won't be leaving alive." I let go of him and he collapsed to his knees, coughing and gasping for air. "As long as you don't fuck with us, he won't come after you." I started to walk away, then paused and added, "And lay off the drugs. That shit'll kill you."

"Ha, ha," he rasped before muttering, "Fucking bitch," under his breath.

Lauren

"Ready to go?" Kenzi asked walking up to the table a half hour later. "I don't know about you but I am shwasted!" she said loudly.

I laughed and nodded, beginning to stand up. I may not have been on Kenzi's level, but I was damn close, finding it hard to keep my vision from blurring.

"Do you two need a ride?" Tamsin offered, getting up as well.

Before I could open my mouth to turn her down, Kenzi answered, "Hells yea! It's free, right?"

The blonde shrugged, "As long as you don't puke in my truck, then yea."

"Sweet! Let's go." Kenzi took off for the door.

Tamsin neglected to say that her truck was a two-seater, so Kenzi ended up awkwardly sitting on my lap.

"I'm so glad you don't have a penis, Doc," she told me as Tamsin started to drive.

I heard the blonde let out a snort of laughter and my face flushed. I wasn't sure how to take that statement. "Um... me, too...?"

My uncomfortable reply made them both start laughing.

"So, are you actually a doctor or is that just a really weird nickname?" Tamsin asked while we were stopped at a red light.

"Nope, she's a doctor. Lauren's like, crazy smart. Sometimes I'm afraid she's gonna go all 'Beautiful Mind' on us and turn schizo. No offence, Doc."

"None taken," I told her, though I hoped she was joking.

The rest of the ride consisted of Kenzi giving Tamsin directions and explaining the plot of 'A Beautiful Mind'. I was more than relieved when Tamsin finally pulled into the gravel driveway of the Crack Shack. It was a short lived feeling, however, because I realized Bo's car wasn't there.

"Thanks for the ride," Kenzi said, opening the door. "We should play pool again sometime, just so I can kick your ass."

Tamsin rolled her eyes, "Yea, right. We'll see about that."

Kenzi started for the house and I turned to Tamsin, "Thanks, again. And be safe getting home."

I went to get out but Tamsin's hand on my shoulder stopped me. I turned to ask her what was going on, but didn't get a chance. Her lips were on mine before I knew it. It was like a bucket of ice cold water, yanking me back into sobriety. I immediately pushed her away. "Tamsin, what are you doing?! I told you I was unavailable."

She tilted her head, "All I got out of that conversation was 'single'."

I put a hand over my eyes and leaned back against the seat, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry if I gave you that impression."

"I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have done that," she said softly.

I put my hand down but didn't look at her. "We'll just pretend that didn't happen, okay?" She nodded. "I'll see you around." I got out of the car and shut the door, hurrying into the house.

Kenzi wasn't in the kitchen or living room, so I figured she probably went to pass out in her bed. I walked over to the fridge and got myself a bottle of water, twisting the cap off and taking a few gulps.

My heart was racing. I felt terrible about what just transpired. Had I led Tamsin on? If I did, I didn't mean to. I recognized the fact that she was flirting, but I had made sure not to reciprocate. Yet, I didn't tell her to stop, either.

I sighed, disappointed in myself. My head was pounding and I knew I'd have a hell of a hangover in the morning.

It was already passed two in the morning and for the hundredth time that night, I wondered where Bo was. It didn't feel right to sleep in her bed without her, so I decided I'd just stay on the couch.

Sleep sounded great at the moment. I had come to crave the time I spent living vicariously through Zoie, knowing that as I was looking through her eyes, Bo was looking through Anna's. It was almost like we were actually together.


	32. Chapter 32

Bo

"I saw Vex," I told Lauren and Castor as we stood in the concrete room. "He's not the one offering the bounty."

"You're sure?" Castor asked and I nodded. "Do you have any other ideas?"

Lauren answered before I could, "The Ash or the Morrigan."

"Or both," I added and Lauren looked at me with a confused expression. I shrugged, "Nothing would surprise me, anymore."

Castor sighed, "Let's hope that isn't the case." He pulled the crimson stone out of his pocket, "I'm guessing you want the same conditions? Eight hours if there are no threats?"

"Yes," I said before taking the stone.

Anna

Her aura was a brilliant, almost blinding, white; something I had never seen before I had been with her. The effect it had on me was intoxicating.

I stared down at Zoie as I continued to circle my fingers slowly around her wet, rigid flesh, only using enough pressure to build her arousal steadily without pushing her over the edge. It was surreal, I thought to myself, watching her tongue dart out to lick her slightly parted lips, her eyes still closed. Her aura brightened and, if I had been at all religious, I would have sworn this was no princess beneath me, but a goddess that I would gladly worship, and did.

Zoie's breathing was becoming ragged and I knew I couldn't make her wait much longer. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry, as the word 'forever' flashed through my mind. I did my best to push it away, but to no avail. The harder I tried, the louder it resonated inside my head, and I found myself committing every sound and every touch to my memory.

Unable to hold back any longer, Zoie pressed against my hand. "Anna," she breathed, and I knew what she needed.

I quickened my movements, sending several pulses of energy directly into her center, before leaning down and catching her lips with my own as she parted them to cry out. I gently pulled her chi from her while she trembled and bucked her hips, her orgasm ripping through her with incredible force.

I could taste her want for me in her chi. Sweet and hot, it burned deliciously throughout my being. There was nothing like it, not even close. It was almost as addicting as Zoie, herself.

When I stopped, I could still feel her body trembling against mine while she fought for control of her breathing. I kissed her neck, feeling her pulse begin to slow down beneath my lips.

"That was the best wake-up call I've had since, well, yesterday morning," she whispered with a small laugh.

I brought myself back up and looked down at her with a smile. "I'm getting better at this," I told her.

She reached up and ran her fingers along my cheek, "I never thought you needed to improve. I didn't think that would even be possible but, Gods, that was amazing."

I turned my head and placed a kiss on her palm, thinking about the past two days.

We had only left Zoie's room once to eat since we had made love for the first time. This was the second morning in a row I had woken up in her bed and I knew Rachel was most likely freaking out since Castor had picked me up while she was gone. Not to mention that I had missed two nights of work. But I didn't care at this point. This was where I wanted to be, more than anything.

"We have to get out of bed," Zoie said, bringing me back from my thoughts.

I pouted, "Are you sure?"

"Unfortunately, yes." She gave me a quick kiss and I rolled off her and onto the bed. "But you'll only be away for a few hours, right?"

"I hope so."

She sat up and looked down at me. "Well, come on and get dressed. We'll get you a carriage and I'll make sure the guards know you're allowed in the palace so you won't be tempted to use your abilities on them. You're too cute to be condemned to death," she joked.

"I'm glad you think so."

When I opened the door to my house, Rachel came bounding out of her room and threw her arms around me, knocking me back a few feet.

"Oh, thank the gods, Anna! I thought you were dead!" She pulled back to look at me, then punched me hard in the arm.

"Ow!"

"Where the fuck were you and why are you smiling at me like that?!"

I couldn't help but laugh at the drastic change in emotions. I knew I shouldn't, though. Rachel was my best friend and, being in our profession, we had both known it was common for girls like us to go missing or worse.

"I'm fine, I promise you. The prince came by two days ago-"

"Prince Castor was here? At our house?" She put on a comically distressed expression.

"Yes, and he took me to the palace-"

"You slept with her! You did, didn't you?" Her eyes went wide as she interrupted me again.

"Well, if you would just let me finish my story-"

"So, how was it?"

I shook my head and laughed again, unsure whether I should even try to answer since she had barely let me speak.

"Well?" she pressed.

I took a deep breath, "Amazing. I can't even begin to describe it. And it just kept going. Her stamina is incredible, I've never encountered anyone who could keep up with me for so long. Basically all of yesterday and the night before... and this morning."

Rachel raised her eyebrows, "Maybe what they say about them being descended from the gods is actually true."

"I would not be surprised. I think we could've continued like that for all of today, too. And her chi... Rachel, I've never felt anything so... I don't even have a word for it."

"Sounds great. Well, now that you've gotten her out of your system, you'll have to tell Chauss that you're still working-"

"What? Gotten her out of my system? I've never felt this way before." It was my turn to interrupt her. "I'm going back after I sort out a few things here."

Rachel's expression changed to disbelief, then worry, "Anna, you're not actually falling for her, are you?"

"Would that be so bad?"

She studied my face for a few seconds, "Yes, it would be bad. You don't fall for people; you have sex and move on. I'm the only person who you've had a long-term thing going with, and that's only because we both know it's to help you survive. You can't let the first person you fall for be the princess. You know it won't last."

I looked down at my feet. She was right; I never had fallen for anyone. I didn't think I could until this morning when I realized I didn't want it to end with Zoie.

That damn word flooded my mind again, forcing me to acknowledge the fact that I wanted to wake up next to her every morning. Forever.

Gods, help me.

Zoie

Walking back into the palace after seeing Anna off, I couldn't help the smile plastered across my face. She'd just left and I was already missing her presence and looking forward to her return.

"Zo!" Castor called and I turned to see him running towards me.

"Castor?"

He stopped in front of me, his face panicked and eyes glassy. My heart started to pound in my chest and I knew what was wrong before he opened his mouth. "It's father; he's fading fast. We have to hurry." He grabbed my arm as he took off again, pulling me behind him.

I was almost out of breath when we reached my father's room after running up the stairs and through the palace. I rushed to his bedside, falling to my knees and taking his hand in my own.

He had paled significantly since I last had seen him, his hand shaking and his breathing shallow.

He gave me weak smile. "You look more like you're mother, everyday," he told me, his voice barely a whisper.

"You have to hold on," I begged him, feeling the tears sting my eyes. "You'll get through this."

My father was only a little over four hundred years old, still young for a Fae. It was hard to see the man who was strong and healthy barely a week ago, reduced to this fragile being in a matter of days.

He shook his head, "It is time, Zoie. You must give your blood oath to me, and also to Castor, for he is the new king."

I swallowed, my stomach was tied in knots. "Father, please. Don't make me do this. I do not want to marry Siamon."

He closed his eyes briefly and nodded, "I know. But he will protect you. This is how it must be."

I turned to look at Castor, pleading for him to stand on my behalf. He just looked away.

"I can protect myself," I said firmly, facing my father once more.

"Zoie, you will do this. The day you were born, your mother had a vision when she first held you. This is how it must be."

I knew I didn't have a choice. I had lost. It was what my mother and father wished for me. I blinked and the tears fell down my face. "I give you my blood oath, father," I said, my voice breaking, then turned to Castor, who stared back at me with sympathy, "and I give my blood oath to you, brother," I bowed my head and closed my eyes before saying, "I will marry Siamon."

I felt my father's hand lightly touch my cheek and I looked up at him.

"It is done," he said, and he took my hand. "For you, my daughter, I give you my gift. You will rule beside your brother as judge of Aethevia. May the gods guide you."

My eyes went wide, but before I could say anything, I felt a burning sensation in the hand my father held. It spread up my arm and then throughout my body, searing every inch of me. I couldn't breath, couldn't scream, as every muscle in my body tensed and the sensation grew stronger. Castor held onto me as the world started to fade away into blackness.


	33. Chapter 33

i forgot that my friend rewrote the summary the other night while we were drinking haha (he ships doccubus with me) anyway, its better than the original cause im terrible at summaries. thanks for all the support and reviews. this is a really complicated story and theres still so much to come, but it'll be worth it. enjoy!

Anna

A few hours later, after catching up with Rachel and getting something to eat, we headed out to meet with Chauss. I knew he wasn't going to be happy about my sudden disappearance, but I was also aware that he was somewhat infatuated with me. That fact alone meant I could get away with almost anything and still keep my job and his favor, especially if I finessed the situation by giving him a few subtle pulses of energy.

"Let me make sure I'm hearing this right," Chauss said, his voice strained as he tried not to yell, "You spent the last two days with the Princess of Aethevia, and you want tonight off, too? Is she paying you?"

I was insulted by the implication. Many of the girls I had worked with did sell their bodies for extra money on the side, but I was never desperate enough to actually do it and Chauss knew that. "No, she is not paying me," I told him without allowing my tone to betray my anger.

"Then I'm getting nothing out of this deal. You are my top dancer and I expect you to be here tonight or you won't have a job."

I slowly walked towards him and let a small smile play over my lips as his eyes travelled down my body and his aura brightened. Sometimes this was just too easy.

I rested my hand on his upper arm and gently pulsed him. Once his unfocused eyes came up to meet mine, I leaned in, "You know, it would be so sweet of you to let me have tonight off. I'd really appreciate it."

A lazy smile appeared on his face, "You would?"

I nodded, sending another pulse. "I'd be so very grateful," I whispered softly into his ear.

"Well, one more night wouldn't be so bad, I suppose."

His aura confirmed to me that he was sufficiently convinced. "Thanks," I said before placing a quick kiss on his cheek and letting him go. I turned around and started walking out, "See you tomorrow."

"How the hell do you do that?" Rachel asked as we started walking home. She'd observed the scene from the doorway, staying quiet until we were out of earshot.

I quirked an eyebrow at her, "What kind of question is that? You already know exactly how I do it. Or have you forgotten in the last three days?"

"Oh, I know all about that power, Anna. But I want to know how it keeps working on Chauss because even I can think somewhat clearly when you do it to me now, and you've been doing it to us both for years. Why does it still work so well on him?"

I shrugged, "Maybe it's because I haven't slept with him. Or maybe the feelings he already has just add more strength to it. And I'm pretty sure I can still work you over just fine."

"That's because I let you think that," she said.

We reached the house and I grabbed her arm, pulling her inside and pushing her up against the wall before giving her a strong pulse.

"Fuck!"

I pressed my body against hers, "Is that what you want me to do to you?"

She let out a shaky breath, "Yes."

Backing away, I grinned, "Told you I've still got it."

"Damn it, Anna," she groaned in frustration.

I walked away, laughing.

Zoie

I slowly regained consciousness, my whole body still tingling. Opening my eyes, everything was blurry and bright. I closed them again as I felt a sharp pain in my head.

"Zoie," someone said. It was a woman, her voice was somehow familiar but I couldn't place it.

I opened my eyes again and the room, my room, came into focus. I turned my head towards the voice to see a female figure. She was turned away from me, the only distinguishing feature I could see was her long, golden hair flowing down her back. The scent in the air was of flowers and fresh soil, the way my mother used to smell during spring time after she'd spent time working in the gardens. She loved doing that.

The woman turned her head and I could just barely make out her profile. I sat up in my bed and called out warily, "Mother?"

It couldn't be her though. She had been dead for twenty years. I brought my hands to my eyes and rubbed them.

When I looked for the woman again, she was gone. I was obviously losing my mind. Great.

I sat there and tried to remember how I'd ended up in my room when everything came crashing back, settling uneasily in my chest. I struggled to control my breathing.

The door suddenly opened and I jumped. It was Castor.

"You're awake," he stated, slowly walking over and sitting on my bed.

I nodded and stared down at my hands. "Please, tell me that was some horrible dream, Castor."

He looked at me with sadness, "That would be a lie."

"You didn't seem to have any problem with lying before." I was incredibly angry at him. "Did you know that he was going to do that?"

Castor turned away, and I took that action for what it was; an undeniable admission of guilt.

"Why? Why would he do that? Why would you keep it from me?" I was almost yelling, feeling my body start to shake as I tried not to lash out. "Don't you think I had a right to know?"

"He told me not to tell you. I could not disobey him, you know that."

I balled up my hands into fists and resisted the urge to punch him. "What the hell are you two playing at? Why would he make me judge? You're the king, the next in line. You are supposed to be both."

"It is as he said. Your mother had a vision. You would be judge, while I was king. I had no choice in the matter, it was decided the day you were born."

"How long have you known?"

He sighed, "Since I was fifteen, I guess."

"You've been keeping this from me for over ten years?!" I was about to break. I tried to rein in my anger. "And what about Siamon? I know you've known about that for longer than a few days. How long did he know?"

"It had been discussed over the past few years without his knowledge, but never confirmed. Vessus only told him this morning."

It seemed I wasn't the only one kept in the dark while others made decisions about my life for me. It didn't make me feel any better, though.

Castor started to speak again. "You and Si are friends, at least. That has to count for something."

It was true that I was friends with Si. He was only a few years older than Castor and I'd known him my whole life. But as his father, Vessus, was like an uncle to me, Si was like a cousin. I would never be able to see him as more than that.

I gave Castor a glare, "It really doesn't."

He bowed his head, "I'm sorry."

"I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive you for this," I whispered honestly.

"I hope that's not true." He got up and started towards the door, then stopped. "Father used the last of his life force to transfer his ability to you. He's gone, Zoie."

I swallowed, not wanting to cry for him right now, and remained silent, staring at the wall straight ahead.

"I think it's for the best," Castor continued, "if you stopped seeing Anna. With what happened to father, it'd be too suspicious if you were to be seen with a Succubus."

"You think she had something to do with this?!" I was beyond enraged that he would even entertain the idea.

"I know that she doesn't," he said quickly. "But others will talk. It's safer for her if she's not around."

"Please, just leave me alone. I can't deal with this right now."

He gave me a solemn nod before leaving the room.

I grabbed a pillow and hugged it to my chest, feeling like my insides were ripping apart. It was to much to handle and I was suffocating underneath all the emotions crowding my mind. The scent of flowers and soil still lingered in my room. I threw the pillow down and got up. I had to get out of here.

Anna

The walk to the palace was a lot longer than I remembered and it took over an hour to reach the gates. The same guard who had been there this morning, Jace, greeted me with a smile and immediately let me in after saying Zoie had sent word for me to meet her in the gardens. I practically ran through the side yard of the palace where a few guards were sparring and training in the fading sunlight. Ignoring the whistles and yells for my attention, I finally made it to the other side of the palace and headed towards the pathway that led to the bench I'd sat on the other day, figuring that's where I'd find Zoie. I was right.

She was sitting on the same bench, elbows resting on her thighs and her head in her hands. I approached her cautiously, knowing something was wrong.

"Hey," I said softly when I was a few feet away from her. She raised her head, revealing her bloodshot eyes and pale face. "What's wrong?"

She stood up slowly, avoiding eye contact, "I..." she trailed off, staring at the ground and shaking her head.

"Zoie? What is it?"

She took a deep breath, "We can't see eachother anymore. I'm sorry."

I was taken aback and confused. I searched her face, trying to figure out what had changed since this morning when she'd been so happy and didn't want to see me leave. "Why?"

"Because... I don't want to. I mean, it was fun and everything, but it was just sex. I think it's best if we just end it here. I don't want to lead you on."

The words were harsh, but their bite was undermined by the trembling in her voice. "You're lying."

She finally looked at me, surprise evident in her eyes. "What?"

"You're lying," I repeated. "You're a terrible liar. Tell me what's really going on."

She looked scared for a second then composed herself. "You should go, Anna."

I swallowed, a horrible feeling growing in my chest. "Why are you doing this? We both know it was more than just sex."

I saw the unshed tears in her eyes before she looked down again. "No, it wasn't. Now, please, go."

The hurting in my chest was quickly replaced by anger. "Whatever you say, Highness," I said bitterly before turning on my heel and hurrying out of the gardens.

The anger dissipated as soon as I was through the gates. Trying not to cry, I walked slowly back to my house. This was insane, I thought to myself. I hadn't even known her a week. It wasn't supposed to hurt this much. But it did. Gods, it really did.

As I walked I thought back to the conversation I'd had earlier with Rachel. She had been right; I did fall for Zoie. And now, here I was, paying for my stupidity. How could I have thought that a princess could feel anything for me?

Maybe she hadn't been lying, and in my pathetic attempt to hold onto the illusion of her liking me, I imagined that she was. But no matter how hard I tried to convince myself, I knew she was lying. And that just made it worse.

When I got home, Rachel came out of her room with a grim look. "Telling by your face, I'm guessing you've heard."

"Heard what?" I asked, not having the slightest clue as to what she was talking about.

"Apparently, King Rusten is dead. At least, that's what they're saying. The servants at the palace told everyone, even though it hasn't been announced yet, it will be in a few days."

I stared at Rachel and then headed to my room, closing the door and falling on my bed. I finally let myself cry.

Lauren

My head was pounding and I dreaded opening my eyes. When I did, I realized Castor hadn't brought me to Limbo.

Thinking about Castor, I felt Zoie's anger again and tried to push it out of my mind. I was angry at him myself for not warning me about the pain Zoie went through when she was given her father's ability. Just as I saw everything she did, I felt it, too. The pain was worse than anything I'd ever imagined.

My hangover made my eyes sensitive to the light so I put my arm over my face and laid there, thinking about all that had happened in the last eight hours.

A few minutes later, I heard footsteps on the stairs but didn't feel ready to move yet. A minute after that I heard the footsteps approaching me.

"Hey, are you awake?" Bo whispered.

I nodded but didn't remove my arm from my face.

I heard her laugh softly, "Hangover?"

I nodded again.

"Well, here," she said and I moved my arm to see her holding out a bottle of water and two aspirin. I took them from her and sat up, swallowing the pills. While I sipped the water, I saw her staring at my chest. I stopped drinking and looked down to see that I was only wearing a bra and no tank top, having been so drunk last night that I'd apparently just slept in my underwear.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing at the fact that she had yet to stop staring. It wasn't like she hadn't seen me, well, Zoie naked only a few hours before. I felt my face heat up as I thought about it. Feeling everything Zoie felt wasn't always so terrible.

Finally, I cleared my throat and took another drink of water as she tore her eyes away.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly and looked down at the floor.

"Not like you haven't seen them before," I told her, trying to make her feel less embarrassed.

She laughed, "True." She walked over to the kitchen area and I pulled up the blanket. "I'm making coffee, do you want any?"

"Yes, that sounds great," I called over to her, picking up my shirt from the armchair. It smelled like alcohol and smoke. "Can I borrow some clothes? I haven't gotten around to shopping, yet. I suppose I should get on that."

"Yea, it's fine," Bo said and headed towards the stairs, "Let's see if we can find something."

I got up, wrapping the blanket around myself, and followed her.

"You really don't like colors, do you?" I observed as she rifled through her clothes.

"Black is a color," she said, and I didn't have the heart to tell her it actually wasn't.

She turned around and looked me up and down, probably wondering what to dress me in.

"I don't think I'll be able to pull off leather like you," I told her with a smile.

"Damn," she cursed jokingly, "You'd look hot. Oh well, I have jeans around here somewhere... I think."

A minute later she found a pair and, of course, they were black.

"Here," she said, handing me a belt, "You'll probably need that." She turned back around and picked up a black beater and handed that to me, too. "I'm kind of mad at you."

I was caught off guard. "What? Why?"

She shrugged, "You know, for what happened back then," she said quietly.

It took a second for me to realize what she was talking about. "You mean, you're mad at me because of what happened between Zoie and Anna?" She nodded. "Bo, that's ridiculous."

"I never said it wasn't. It's just how I feel."

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say to that. You know I can't change the past."

She sighed, "I know this sounds stupid, but I look forward to going back there. At least, I did. It made dealing with what's going on between us now easier to handle. Seeing them happy together... I liked to pretend it was actually us."

I looked down at the ground. I had felt the same way, but hearing her say it out loud made our connection to our past lives even more real. "I'm mad at myself, too," I whispered. "I hate this. I hate that Zoie threw away what I want so much to have. But there are two sides to every story, and at that point, she was trying to protect Anna. I can't honestly say I wouldn't have done the same."

"Why won't you fight?" she asked, shaking her head. "Don't give up like she did."

I swallowed, unnerved by the way she looked at me in disappointment. "I haven't given up-"

"Castor told me," she cut me off. "He told me you wanted him to turn you human again. That sure as hell sounds like giving up to me."

I felt ashamed of myself. I had let her down, again. I walked over to her and lifted her chin so her eyes met mine. "Bo, I am trying. I said those things in a moment of weakness and I regret it, I really do. I promise you, I will fight, okay?"

She nodded before pulling me in for a hug. "Don't leave me... after everything we've already been through. Please?" she breathed against my neck.

I held her tight, hoping I could keep my promise. "I'm not going anywhere."

Bo

Kenzi came down the stairs after Lauren had taken a shower and I had left a message on Dyson's voicemail about setting up an appointment with the Ash.

She looked between me and the quiet doctor as she went about getting a cup of coffee and pouring her cereal. "How're you feeling, Doc?"

"Like hell," Lauren muttered before taking a sip of coffee, "And you?"

"Pretty good, actually," Kenzi answered with a smile. "So, Bo, everything gravy with the whole-"

"I'm great, Kenz, thanks," I said quickly. The last thing I wanted to talk about was feeding.

She took the hint and dropped the subject. Eating her cereal quietly, she kept looking between me and Lauren. Finally, she put her spoon down and said, "You know what you two need?"

Before I could answer, someone else did.

"A threesome," a woman said, walking into view from behind the wall blocking the doorway.

Lauren and I jumped up from our stools as Kenzi spun around to look at the blonde. "Ding, ding, damn... You're good," she looked back at us, "I like her."

"Tamsin," I breathed at the same time Lauren said her name.

I gave Lauren a confused look, which she returned.

Tamsin crossed her arms with a smug smile, "You always leave your door unlocked?"

I blinked and furrowed my eyebrows. "What are you doing here?"

She focused on Lauren, "You said you were looking for a new place last night and there's an apartment for rent down the street from me. I figured you might want to check it out. It's a nice place and it probably won't be on the market for long."

I looked over at Lauren, "How do you two know eachother?"

"Kenzi and I met Tamsin at the Dal last night. She gave us a ride home," Lauren answered before turning back to Tamsin. "Thanks for letting me know."

"I can give you a ride over so you can see it if you want. It won't take long and I don't really have anything better to do," Tamsin offered.

"Um, sure. Let me just get my jacket." I watched as Lauren walked over to the armchair then looked at Kenzi, who was completely oblivious, eating her cereal.

Lauren came up to me, "You'll call me if Dyson gets in touch with you, right?"

"Yea, of course," I told her, not sure what else to say.

"I'll see you soon," she said with a smile before following Tamsin out the door.

I stood staring after them, dumbfounded. Kenzi walked over and put a hand on my shoulder, "You alright, Bo-Bo?"

I shook my head, "Do you realize what just happened?"

"Uh, Hot Pants has a new beau?" she said, playfully whacking my arm and snickering at her own pun. I gave her a look to let her know I was not amused. "Relax, I'm sure it's totally platonic."

"No, Kenzi... My reincarnated soulmate just left with a woman who, I'm pretty sure, is my reincarnated best-friend-slash-fuck-buddy."

Her eyes went wide and darted from me to the door. "Holy snapping Ash-holes," she whispered. "Ain't that some shit!"


	34. Chapter 34

Author's Note: oh, ye of little faith... calm your doccubus-loving hearts down! haha. now, tamsin/rachel is a vital part of the story, as much as it seems to pain you guys, so i'm sorry about that, but if you continue to read this story you'll understand why i brought her into it. anywho, thanks for reading and reviewing, and thank you, Haruka-Clone, for letting me know i have some sort of psychic ability when it comes to zoie palmer haha thats awesome.

Bo

I had decided to go to the Dal and find out if Trick had made any progress in translating the ancient code. Kenzi had stayed at the house despite my worries about leaving her there alone while there were Fae hunting Lauren. She'd tried to reassure me that she'd be fine but I still didn't like the idea and wondered why she had volunteered to stay behind.

"Hey, Bo," Hale greeted me as I walked into the Fae bar and he was about to walk out.

"Hey. Have you heard from Dyson at all? I left him a message like, three hours ago."

Hale shook his head, "I haven't talked to him since yesterday morning."

"Isn't that weird? I thought you guys were going through the Ash's archives. And you are still cops, right?"

Hale shrugged, "He hasn't been really chatty the past few days. You know, with you guys breaking up... I don't want to push him to talk about it. If I know Dyson, he's probably just locked up in his apartment with his punching bag."

I nodded slowly, but something didn't seem right.

"Well, I'll see you around. I have to talk to Trick." He nodded and I walked past him and up to the bar.

"Bo," Trick said as he wiped down the bar. "I was just about to call you."

I raised my eyebrows, "Did you find anything?"

"Hm? Oh, you mean the prophecy," he said in a low tone. "Unfortunately, no. I just wanted to check in with you, make sure you, Kenzi and Lauren were okay."

"We're fine."

"Good, that's good. No more incidents then?"

"No. Have you talked to Dyson?"

Trick sighed, "He only told me about the bounty hunters because he is worried about you. And word has spread about the abduction, as well as the rumor of a human being made Fae."

I shook my head, "It's not that. I meant when was the last time you spoke to him?"

Trick studied my face for a second, looking confused. "Before he went to go check on you yesterday morning. Why?"

"I've just been trying to get in touch with him. If you see him, tell him to call me."

He nodded, "I will."

"Thanks." I turned around and started for the door. I knew I might be overreacting, but it couldn't hurt to swing by Dyson's apartment and see if he was home.

Lauren

Tamsin and I had just left the apartment and were driving back to Bo's house. It had been a nice place; two bedrooms, one bathroom and a large living area attached to a medium-sized kitchen. The rent was surprisingly low, too, so I decided it was worth filling out an application. The second bedroom would be perfect for a small lab area.

"So, I have to ask," Tamsin said, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked over and waited for her to continue. "What happened to your bandage?"

"Oh, um," I stalled, mentally cursing myself for forgetting about the charade. "A friend helped me out," I replied when I couldn't think of any better excuse.

"You mean the Succubus?"

"Bo, yes."

"We met briefly the other night. She thought I was someone else, though," she explained then glanced over at me quickly before adding, "I may have hit on her."

"And why are you telling me this? I thought it was clear that I'm not interested in you like that, so you don't need to explain yourself to me," I told her, annoyed. Hearing about her flirting with Bo made my stomach hurt.

"Relax, Doc. I don't get hung up on what I can't have," she said in a somewhat condescending tone. "I just thought you'd want to know that she turned me down, too."

"Why do you think I'd want to know that?" I asked her, even though it made me feel a little better.

She looked over and rolled her eyes at me, "Because it's obvious that she's the girl you're not 'technically' with."

I stayed quiet, running my thumb back and forth over the edge of my seat belt, unsure of what to say.

After a minute, Tamsin turned to me and opened her mouth to say something, but then looked past me, her eyes wide. "Shit!" she cursed.

I quickly turned to look out my window as Tamsin slammed on the gas pedal, pushing us forward so that the large, black SUV hit the tailgate of her truck instead of me.

Bo

I knocked on Dyson's door, then waited. I had called him on the drive over but he hadn't answered, so I left another message telling him I'd be stopping by.

I knocked again, since he might have been sleeping. Still, no answer.

I pulled out my phone and called him. A few seconds later, I heard ringing coming from inside the apartment.

"Dyson?" I called through the door. "Dyson, it's Bo. Can you just come to the door so I know you're okay?"

Nothing. Shaking my head, I decided to call the station.

"Hello?" a gruff voice answered, but it wasn't Dyson.

"Uh, hi. I'm calling for Detective Thornwood."

"He's not here," the man said in a bored tone.

"Do you know where he is?"

"No. He hasn't come to work in two days."

"He hasn't called in or anything?"

"No, ma'am."

I gave the man my name and number and asked him to call if Dyson checked in. I knew he probably wouldn't call back, but I didn't know what else to do. This was starting to get really weird.

After I hung up, I called Hale.

"Hey, Bo," he answered loudly, and I flinched.

"Hey. Do you know the address of the gym Dyson goes to?"

"Uh... yeah. I think so."

"Can you text it to me?"

"Sure. Everything okay?" he asked and I heard a familiar voice in the background.

"Is that Kenzi?" I wasn't sure if I was hearing things. "Are you at my house?"

"What? No, of course not," he answered quickly and my curiosity was piqued. "Anyway, I should get you that address. I'll talk to you later."

"Um, okay. Bye," I said, not sure what just happened. I could have sworn that was Kenzi.

My phone buzzed and I looked at the address on my screen.

I turned back to the door. "If you're just ignoring me, I'm going to be so pissed, Dyson."

Lauren

The truck had spun, flipped and then landed heavily on its wheels. My eyes had been closed tight the whole time, and I was afraid of what I'd see when I opened them.

"Doc," Tamsin said, her voice sounding far away. "Lauren!"

My body was shaking, everything was numb. I slowly opened my eyes. The windshield and all the windows were shattered and there was glass everywhere. I looked at Tamsin and saw the large gash on her forehead, blood running down her face and neck.

"Lauren, are you alright?"

I tried to speak but couldn't find my voice.

"Listen, just stay here and keep your head down," she instructed, reaching over to her glove box and wrenching it open. She grabbed a gun and kicked at the driver's side door. Why did she have a gun?

When the door wouldn't open, she pulled herself out through the window. "Keep your head down!" she repeated before running around the front of the truck. I ducked down but kept my head high enough to see her run towards the road as two huge, muscular men exited the black SUV with their own guns.

They were too far away to hear, and I stayed completely still as the scene unfolded.

The men were pointing their guns at the much smaller blonde, but soon their aim began to waver and eventually their guns dropped as they stared at Tamsin in some sort of trance. Then, they both seemed to faint, collapsing to the ground and not moving.

Tamsin started to walk back to the truck and I raised my head just as she doubled over and fell to the ground.

My door was jammed and I had to slam my shoulder into it several times before it budged. I jumped out of the car and ran over to her. She was unconscious but her pulse was strong. I looked back at the mangled truck; there was no way it would be able to run. I turned my gaze to the SUV, seeing only the front was smashed. We were at least two miles away from Bo's, and taking the SUV seemed like the only option since I didn't know how long the men would be out. I quickly grabbed Tamsin, lifting her upper body, and dragged her towards the road. I heaved her into the backseat, then hurried to the driver's side, relieved that the men had left their keys in the ignition. As I climbed in, I felt a sharp pain in my side and looked down. The black tank top was ripped open and soaked with blood. I lifted it to see a deep cut on my right side, just below my rib cage. The shock wore off and I felt all the pain that had been numb until that point. Clenching my jaw, I clamped my hand over the wound and started the car.

I pulled into the driveway minutes later, just as Tamsin was starting to wake up.

"Fuck. Where are we?" she groaned from the backseat.

I got out of the car carefully, still clutching my side, and went to open her door.

"Can you walk?" I said, reaching out my hand to her.

She sat up and nodded, "I think so." Her eyes travelled down my body as she slid out of the seat and held onto the door, trying to keep her balance. "That looks bad," she whispered, lifting her eyes to mine.

"You don't look too great, either. Come on, you definitely need stitches," I turned around and started limping towards the house with her following close behind.

When we got inside, Kenzi jumped up off the couch, "What the fuck happened?!" She hurried over and grabbed my arm, helping me to the couch.

"Some fucking assholes rammed into my truck," Tamsin said before collapsing into an armchair and putting her head in her hands.

Kenzi looked down at me and swallowed, "Jesus, Doc, that's a lot of freaking blood."

"I'm fine," I lied, my head starting to spin. The blood now was drenching the jeans I wore, slowly spreading down my thigh. "Kenzi," I breathed, "Where's Bo?"

"She went to the Dal. I'll call her," she replied, and pulled her phone out.

I looked over at Tamsin and saw her body start to slump. "Don't go to sleep, talk to me." I told her and she raised her head.

"Why are they after you?" she asked.

Ignoring the question, I looked up to see Kenzi standing and staring at me.

"Kenzi, I need towels or wash cloths, as many as you can get, and the first-aid kit from the bathroom." I had to try and slow down the bleeding and clean Tamsin's head wound. I knew that if I passed out, Castor would most likely heal me, but Tamsin was lucky she'd woken up the first time.

The younger girl nodded and ran off, returning a minute later with several cloths and the kit. Taking a few of them, I pressed them to my side, focusing on my breathing to try and ignore the pain, then getting up and going over to Tamsin.

"Shouldn't you take care of that, first?" Tamsin asked.

"Seriously, Doc, if you die before Bo gets here, she'll kill me," Kenzi added.

"I'm not... going to die," I whispered, putting some alcohol on a cloth. My hand shook as I began to clean the wound as gently as possible.

Bo

I had been on my way back to Dyson's apartment after finding out he wasn't at the gym, when Kenzi called.

All I had heard was 'Lauren' and 'accident' before I hung up, pulled an extremely illegal U-turn, and sped towards my house. I was there in ten minutes, after almost causing two accidents by running red lights. It was sheer luck that no cops had been in the area.

I ran into the house and nearly slammed right into Kenzi. I looked past her to see Lauren laid on the couch with Tamsin kneeling beside her. Rushing over, I saw the blood soaked rags Tamsin had pressed to Lauren's side.

I knelt down by her head and she opened her eyes to look up at me, there were cuts on her cheek and her nose. I didn't waste any time, bending down; I knew how to heal her.

"No, Bo. Don't," she said softly. "Castor... he'll heal me."

I shook my head, thinking about how Castor had told me he had no life essences left. "He can't heal you if you're dead. Now, just shut up," I told her before pressing my lips to hers, letting my chi leave my body and enter hers.

When I pulled away, she inhaled a deep breath and I looked over to see Tamsin lift the rags. There was blood but no wound.

Lauren pulled herself up to sit on the couch, "I'm sorry about your clothes."

I stood up, "We need to talk," I told her.

She looked at me and then Tamsin, "I need to stitch that. t's my fault this happened."

"No, it's not. It's whoever's behind this bounty bullshit's fault," I corrected her, getting fed up with everything that was going wrong. "Tamsin, get up."

The woman gave me a confused look, but stood up. "This is a one-time thing, okay?"

She was still staring at me in a clueless way as I put my hand on the back of her neck and leaned in, not touching my lips to hers. I breathed my chi into her and her eyes went wide. I watched as the cut on her forehead healed, then pulled away, feeling a little dizzy but pushing through it.

"Holy shit," Kenzi whispered from her spot behind me. "That is awesome!"

Tamsin ran her hand over where the wound used to be. "Thanks," she muttered.

"Don't mention it," I told her then turned to Lauren, who was staring down at her hands. I took one of them into my own and she looked up at me. "Come with me?" I asked her and she nodded. "You two stay here. We won't be long," I told Tamsin and Kenzi before heading for the stairs, still holding Lauren's hand.

When we got to my room I turned around to face her. "I can't do this, anymore."

I saw the hurt enter her eyes and she looked away, "I understand. These aren't your problems. You shouldn't have to-"

"No, that's not what I meant," I cut her off, sharply. "I need to know what you want, right now, because I don't think I can handle not knowing what this is. You could've died, again, and I never would have gotten to tell you..." I stopped, feeling my chest constrict as my words were caught in my throat. If I said them, it would make what I felt inside more real. And if she rejected me, again, I'd break.

"I love you," she whispered, bringing her eyes back to mine.

I nodded, "Exactly."

She laughed softly, "No, Bo. I'm telling you that I love you."

I stared at her, trying to process what she'd said. "You... you do?"

"Yes, of course, I do. You had to have known that. I've been in love with you for lifetimes, as far as I know."

"Then why won't you be with me?" I asked her the question she had yet to actually answer.

"Because I love you," she whispered, "and if we are to be together while you can't feed from me, I'm afraid I won't be able to do it. Knowing that you need others to give you what I can't... Bo, I'm not strong enough to deal with that," she admitted, her voice breaking as she looked to the ground. "I wish I was, but I'm not. And you need someone who is. I'll just end up letting you down."

I didn't know what to say. I couldn't force her to do something that would hurt her, but I couldn't take that as an answer because it meant this was my fault.

"And I know it's selfish," she continued, "but if we were together, I'd want you to be mine, and only mine."

"But I already am," I told her, shaking my head. "And whether we're together or not, I know I always will be. Don't you see that?"

"Bo..."

"Lauren, just give me a chance to make you see that I love you, only you." I didn't let her reply, instead bringing my hands to either side of her face and kissing her hard, determined to convey my feelings through touch because words hadn't worked so far. She gripped my wrists as she matched my desperate movements.

"Tell me you can do this," I breathed, resting my forehead against hers. "Please..."


	35. Chapter 35

Bo

She stared into my eyes for what seemed like an eternity, but said nothing. I could see the fear so clearly, and I wished I knew how to take it away.

"It's okay if you're scared," I whispered, "I am, too."

Her eyelids fluttered shut and she exhaled shakily. "There's one more thing... something I need the truth about before I can answer that question."

"What is it?"

She pulled away and looked at me, "That day in the lab, when Dyson was in Limbo and on life support, you said that you loved him, but you had fallen for me... Are you in love with him? Just tell me the truth, I need to know."

I could tell this was a huge part of her fear; that I would go back to him because she thought she wasn't enough for me. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud at how ridiculous it seemed after everything that had happened this week. But I knew that I had never really explained my reasons for breaking up with him. She needed to hear my side.

I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts before deciding how to begin. "Dyson was the first um, being, I guess, that I had ever fed from and didn't kill. He was the first Fae I ever met and actually got to know. He brought me into a world where there were others like me and helped me see that I wasn't abnormal or a freak. And at that time, everything was new and overwhelming and... scary as hell. I was vulnerable and I mistook my happiness, in finding someone like me, for falling in love. I mean, after what happened with Kyle, I thought I'd never be able to let myself fall for someone or have a relationship with someone. I had convinced myself I would be alone forever because I was a monster. I do love Dyson, and I care about him, but that love was born out of reliance and gratitude. He's my friend," I explained, noticing how she looked away when I said I loved him. "It's not like that with you, though. I'm in love with you. I can't even imagine being with anyone else, Lauren. Just the thought of not being with you for the rest of my life causes this horrible feeling in my chest, and it gets hard to breathe. I've never felt like this about Dyson or anyone, besides Kenzi, of course- she's my family. But my point is, I fell in love with you and I will be in love with you, forever. It doesn't matter whether you are human or Fae, you remember me or you don't, if I can feed from you or I can't; I love you, and nothing can change that. Even if you don't say yes, I will still love you. That is the truth," I finished, feeling like a thousand pounds had been lifted from my shoulders. I had laid my cards down and that was that.

As she looked at me now, tears shining in her eyes, it wasn't with fear, but unmistakable happiness. Suddenly, her arms were around my neck and her lips were on mine. I returned the fervent kiss, wrapping my own arms around her waist and pulling her body into me.

When she broke away, I asked, "So, was that a 'yes'?"

"That," she said with a smile before giving me another quick kiss, "was a 'hell, yes'."

I was sure that I was grinning like an idiot, but didn't care. "I think I like 'hell, yes's."

She laughed and shook her head. "As much as I want to celebrate this moment," she said, "Kenzi and Tamsin are waiting for us."

I kept my grip on her, "Fuck them."

"Well, I hope those aren't your intentions," she joked, but then said seriously, "We still have to deal with a lot of things. For instance, the car in the driveway needs to be taken care of, and we have to go see the Ash."

I pouted, "Can't that stuff wait for, like, ten or thirty minutes?"

"I wish it could," she said softly. "But I really need to see the Ash."

"Why?"

She bit her lip and ducked her head, "I might have a theory as to why you can't feed from me, and the Ash is the only one I can ask who might tell me the truth."

I furrowed my eyebrows, confused, "What's your theory?"

"I don't want to cause any tension, Bo. I think it's best I keep it to myself until I know whether I'm right or not."

"Cause tension? I don't understand."

"Please, trust me on this? I promise you, you will know soon enough."

I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach, but relationships were about compromise. And I did trust her. "Okay. But I haven't been able to get a hold of Dyson," I told her. "I have a feeling something might have happened to him."

"What do you mean?"

I shrugged, "Well, the past few days he's practically been up my ass, checking in and asking questions, but now... he hasn't been to work in two days and no one's heard from him since before he came here yesterday morning. I know I might just be paranoid, but I have a really bad feeling about it."

"We'll look into it, okay?" she assured me, moving her hands to my neck and lightly tracing my jaw with her thumb.

I nodded and leaned in to kiss her again before letting her go and taking her hand.

When we got downstairs, Kenzi looked up from her spot on the couch. "Damn, that was quick. You losing your touch, Bo-Bo?"

Tamsin laughed and raised her hand to Kenzi, who gave her a high-five.

I rolled my eyes, ignoring the comment as Lauren looked at the ground and tried not to join in on the laughter.

"Do any of your cousins want a car? It's not in the best shape, but it's free," I told Kenzi.

She smiled, "Well, since you said the magic word, I think we can figure something out."

While Kenzi made some phone calls, I sat down with Tamsin and Lauren as they told me about what had happened. Listening to Tamsin describe the accident, I surprised they were both alive. If she hadn't reacted so quickly, Lauren definitely wouldn't have survived. Even though, I still didn't really know what to make of the woman, I had to admit that I was grateful towards her. She'd saved my girlfriend's life.

Girlfriend, I repeated in my head. I still couldn't believe we were really together, that she was finally mine. After all the shit we'd gone through, even though it hadn't even been a week, I was beginning to think it'd never happen. I watched Lauren's lips as she spoke, not hearing a word she said as I imagined kissing her, and what those kisses would lead to. I licked my lips unconsciously, my hunger for her taking over my mind.

"Bo?" she said, snapping me back to the present.

"Yes," I muttered and brought my eyes to hers.

She raised her eyebrows with a smirk, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Sorry, I got distracted. What were you saying?"

"I was saying that I was going to go take a shower and get changed so we can go to the compound. Tamsin is going to stay with Kenzi while we're gone."

"Oh, okay. I guess I'll find you some different clothes, then," I told her as we both stood up. "Thanks," I said to Tamsin.

"No problem," she replied.

"So, this shower," I said to Lauren once we were back upstairs.

She laughed as she undid her belt, "I'll be taking it alone, Bo."

"But..." I trailed off, forgetting what I was going to say because Lauren had just pulled her tank top off, and, even though her side was still covered in blood, I couldn't help the sudden dryness of my mouth.

Without a second thought, I walked over and pulled her in for a kiss. It was a great feeling, knowing that I could kiss her whenever. I ran my hands up her arms and then down her chest. I was about to undo her bra when she pulled away.

"You need to go," she said, softly. "The faster I get ready, the faster we'll get this over with. Then I'm all yours."

"This theory of yours... if you're right, will you be able to fix whatever is wrong?"

"Hypothetically, yes."

"Then I hope you're right."

She gave me a small smile, "Me, too. Now, go try calling Dyson again or something."

I dropped my hands to my sides and shook my head. "You really know how to kill a mood, don't you?"

She laughed again and started towards the bathroom. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

Lauren

It was weird, walking into the Light compound. I had only been gone for less than a week but it felt like months since I'd been here.

"Ugh, I hate this place," Bo groaned quietly as she walked beside me.

The guards recognized me and I had no trouble getting to the Ash's reception area. I wondered if they even knew I didn't work here, anymore.

"Dr. Lewis," Megan, one of the Ash's assistants, greeted me. "The Ash has been expecting you. Let me just tell him you're here," she said, looking from me to Bo, her expression turning wary.

"Thanks, Megan," I said before she went through the doors leading to the Ash's office.

"I'm going in with you," Bo told me, giving me a look that showed there was no use arguing with her.

I nodded and Megan came back in.

"He'll see you, now," she said and resumed her seat behind the desk.

I took a deep breath and started towards the door, Bo following me closely.

I was nervous as I walked into the office but tried my best not to show it. There were two guards by the doors and another assistant of the Ash, Marcus, standing a few feet behind the Ash, himself. The Ash stood up and I almost bowed my head but caught myself at the last second.

"Hello, Dr. Lewis," he said, then added, "Nice to see you, again, Bo."

I didn't have to look over at her to know she was biting back whatever sarcastic reply had gone through her head.

"I was told you wanted a meeting, Ash," I said, proud that my voice didn't waver.

He nodded, "Yes. It seems you're having trouble with bounty hunters. I was hoping I could be of service."

"In exchange for what?" Bo shot back before I could reply.

I turned to her and raised my eyebrows, wanting to convey the fact that I could handle this myself, then returned my attention to the Ash.

"I realize that you have chosen to be unaligned, Lauren, and though I would like you to join the Light, I respect that it is your decision."

"Thank you," I said with a nod that he returned

"I would like you to consider becoming a consultant for our lab. Your research has proved valuable over the past few years and though I cannot offer your job back, it would be advantageous to have you come in from time to time and help my medical staff."

"I'll take your offer into consideration."

"That's all I ask."

Reaching into my jacket pocket, I took hold of the Sejan before asking, "If you don't mind, I have something that I think you may be able to identify."

He tilted his head slightly with a look of curiosity and walked over to me. "What would that be?"

I pulled the bracelet out and handed it to him, feeling Bo's eyes on me but not daring to look over at her.

I watched as the Ash studied the Sejan for a minute and nodded, "This is a Sejan. It bestows a prescient ability on the wearer."

"Are you sure?" I was relieved and disappointed at the same time. It was good to know that Trick and Dyson hadn't lied, but it also meant it wasn't what was causing the problems with Bo's feeding.

He was about to hand it back when Marcus spoke up, timidly, "Excuse me, Ash. If I may have permission to speak?" He kept his head bowed and his eyes on the floor.

"Go on, Marcus," the Ash consented.

Marcus walked over slowly, "The object has been glamoured. I can see the altered auras. It's very intricate."

I knew that Marcus was a mage. And Earth Mage, to be specific. He had the ability to manipulate energy to cast spells. Basically, he was a witch.

"What does that mean?" Bo asked.

"It means the object only appears to be a Sejan. It's true form is masked," the Ash explained and then asked Marcus, "Are you able to undo it?"

"I can try. If you'll just hold it out for me, I'll see what I can do," Marcus requested and the Ash complied.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, my palms sweating. If it wasn't a Sejan, then what was it? And had Dyson and Trick known? I knew Trick was a mage, but he was a Blood Mage, and as far as I knew, he didn't have the ability to glamour. Neither did Dyson.

I looked at Bo, immediately registering the anger and confusion on her face. I hoped, for her sake, that this was an unintentional mix-up.

Marcus moved his hands around the bracelet for several minutes, plucking thin air like there were invisible strings only he could see.

Finally, the bracelet shimmered and morphed. When the transformation was complete, an amulet rested in the Ash's open palm.

I saw his expression change to recognition and anger flashed in his eyes.

I was afraid to ask, but I had to know. "What is it?"

He looked at me and said, "It's a Koushang. It prevents one's life force from being taken. Where did you get this?"

I didn't know what to say. So many things went through my mind at once. Facing Bo, I could see she was as conflicted as I was. We had been fooled. Possibly by Dyson, who Trick had alluded the so-called Sejan belonged to. Or Trick, himself. Or maybe someone had fooled them and they had no idea about the glamouring, either.

"I'm not at liberty to say," I told the Ash.

"Dr. Lewis, it would be wise of you to rethink that answer," the Ash growled. "This amulet was stolen from my vaults. I have a right to know how you came to be in possession of it."

My whole body tensed as the gravity of this situation sank in. I quickly glanced at Bo, her eyes wide as they darted from me to the Ash with worry.

If Trick and Dyson were innocent, and even if they weren't, I couldn't just turn them in. Stealing from the Ash was a capital offence in the Fae world. They would be imprisoned. Maybe worse.

When I didn't say anything, the Ash looked past me and gave a subtle nod.

The guards grabbed me and Bo, holding our arms behind our backs.

"Get your fucking hands off of us!" Bo yelled, struggling against the burly guard's grip, her eyes instantly changed blue.

The Ash pocketed the Koushang before saying, "Until you tell me who's responsible for this, I have no choice but to detain you. I'll ask one more time. Who gave this to you?"


	36. Chapter 36

so heres another update. thanks for all the reviews!

sergeik- i laughed so hard when i read your comment about lauren accidentally setting the bed on fire. especially since i know kenzi would have a field day if dr. hotpants's sex was literally on fire haha thanks for brightening my day

Lauren

I panicked at the Ash's words and looked to Bo, not sure what to do. She stared back with her blazing blue eyes and shook her head. I didn't know how to interpret the gesture. Was she telling me to lie or not? I couldn't see any other option besides telling the truth and I regretted bringing her with me. I understood that she would want to protect Trick and Dyson, but my main priority was to protect her.

The Ash had obviously seen the exchange. He turned to Marcus, leaning in to whisper something to the mage.

Marcus bowed quickly and made his way over to Bo. It didn't take long to figure out his intentions.

"Ash, please. She doesn't know anything," I pleaded.

"Even if that were true," the Ash said in an aggressive tone, "you do know. And she is your weakness, doctor."

Marcus began to move his hands around the air in front of Bo and, just as I was about to tell the Ash about Dyson and Trick, she cried out, doubling over.

Before I knew it, an intense, uncontrollable rush of heat spread throughout my body. I didn't realize what was happening until the guard holding my arms yelled in pain and let go, the scent of burning flesh filling the room.

The Ash's eyes widened in shock as my new ability was revealed and I knew then that I may have just ruined my chances of getting out of the compound alive.

I couldn't take the time to dwell on this; I had to make sure that Bo would be safe.

I raised my hand towards Marcus, forcing him to cease his hand motions.

"I'll tell you everything," I said, looking back to the Ash, "but you have to give me your blood oath that you'll let Bo go, unharmed."

The Ash seemed to be considering this when I saw Bo straighten up in my peripheral vision.

"We found it on one of the bounty hunters," she said loudly and I turned to face her in shock.

Did she really think the Ash would believe we would try to protect a bounty hunter?

I recognized the desperation in her eyes before returning my attention to the Ash as he clenched his jaw in anger and said, "Lying to me will only make this worse for both of you."

Suddenly, the enraged guard I had burned regained his composure and took hold of the arm I had raised to Marcus and wrenched it back, slamming his fist into the back of my elbow and shattering the bones.

I'm sure I screamed as my arm bent the wrong way and I felt bone rip through skin. My legs gave out and I landed on my knees, spots clouding my vision. I fought to hold onto consciousness and the contents of my stomach.

The Ash was yelling something but as the blood rushed in my ears, I couldn't make out the words.

It was as I was starting to regain control of my senses that I felt something in the air change. I looked up just in time to see the guard, who had been holding Bo, fly through the air and crash into Marcus, sending them both to the floor in a heap.

Still somewhat dazed, I turned my gaze to Bo, not knowing how she could've possibly done that. The guard had to have been three times her size and all muscle.

Then I saw it in her eyes. It wasn't Bo looking back at me; it was something primal.

Megan, the Ash's assistant, entered the room as Bo, or whatever had taken over her body, raised her arms out, her skin glowing with golden energy.

I was paralyzed by fear as I watched everyone around us freeze, their heads falling back. Bo started draining them of their chi, simultaneously, until they all collapsed to the floor, including the Ash.

Looking back up at Bo, she met my eyes and began to speak in a booming, demonic voice, "We can be the most powerful of them all. There will be no Light, and no Dark. They will fall at our feet. You, as my queen, and I, as yours, will rule even the gods."

"Bo..."

She began to sway, her eyes turning brown again. She passed out and I tried to catch her before she hit the floor, but moving even the slightest bit caused excrutiating pain in my arm. I carefully crawled over to her and shook her, willing her to wake up.

"Oh, Bo," I whispered, looking around at all the bodies on the floor, not sure whether they were dead or just unconscious. "What have we done?"

Bo

When I came to, Lauren was leaning over me, her skin was a ghostly white and her breathing was harsh and labored. The last few moments before I blacked out came back to me and the sickening sound of Lauren's arm breaking and her scream of agony played through my head. My eyes went immediately to her mangled arm which hung limp at her side, and though she was wearing a jacket, I saw the blood flowing down her hand and pooling on the floor. Not wasting another second, I sat up and brought her lips to mine, breathing my chi into her. When I pulled away, her breathing had calmed and the pain in her eyes had been replaced by panic.

"Bo, we have to get out of here now," she said in a rushed whisper.

I finally let myself look at the scene around me. "What happened? Did... did I do this?"

I scrambled to my feet and Lauren got up, too. "I dont know how but you drained them all at the same time," she said, shaking her head.

Terror seized my chest and I ran over to the Ash. He was still breathing, barely.

"Bo, we have to go."

"I need to save them," I told her before leaning down and breathing just enough chi into the Ash to bring him from the brink of death but not to consciousness. I repeated this with the other four, coming to Megan last. Just as I finished with her, the Ash began to move.

I got up and took Lauren's hand, dragging her behind me as I ran out the doors and through the halls to the exit. We only passed one Fae, who had looked at us startled, before jumping out of our way.

When we reached the doors, the two guards stationed there attempted to block our way.

I kicked the first one between his legs, and Lauren froze the second so I could deliver a hard punch to his throat. Once they were both on the ground, gasping, I grabbed Lauren's hand again and we ran out the exit and to my car, jumping in.

My hands were shaking so badly I could barely get the key into the ignition. As I sped away from the compound, I gripped the steering wheel tight, anger and nausea taking me over.

"Fuck!" I yelled in frustration. I had lost control, worse than anything before, and now, the Ash would be after us. "I can't fucking believe this! How could they do this to us? I know Dyson might have been pissed about me breaking up with him, but seriously? And Trick! Fucking Trick and his fucking lies, thinking he knows everything. God! Why didn't I see this coming?"

"Bo, you need to calm down," Lauren said, reaching over and putting her hand on my thigh.

The contact instantly made me feel safer and my heart slowed. I eased my foot off the gas pedal, realizing I had been going twenty miles over the speed limit. The last thing I needed right now was to be pulled over.

"You really think they knew?" she asked.

"You don't?" I countered, giving her an incredulous look.

She sighed and looked away, "I don't know."

"We have to leave town. I have to get Kenzi and then we'll go, lay low for a week or so. Until we can get this taken care of."

"Where will we go?"

"I don't know, yet."

"The Dal is a sanctuary," she volunteered timidly.

"You can't seriously be suggesting that we go to Trick for help? If you haven't noticed, that hasn't exactly worked out so far."

"We don't know that he had anything to do with it. He could be innocent," she reasoned.

"Don't you think that if I believed that even the tiniest bit, I would've told the Ash? Don't get me wrong, I am unbelievably pissed at him and Dyson, but I don't want them dead. Severely injured, maybe... but not dead." I pulled into the driveway and turned off the car, shaking my head. "We can't go to the Dal."

"I know you don't like it, but it's the best option. And despite what Trick may or may not have done, I know he will protect you."

"I'm not going to risk him putting us in more danger. None of this would've happened if he hadn't lied to us. I don't even know what happened to me back there, Lauren. I don't remember anything and I could've killed five people without knowing what I was doing. Do you get how messed up that is? I really am a fucking monster," I whispered before opening the car door and getting out.

I was almost to the house, trying my best not to let the tears escape my eyes, when I felt Lauren's fingers close around my wrist and I stopped, bowing my head but not turning around.

She walked in front of me, and lifted my chin slowly until she was looking me straight in the eyes, "You are not a monster. I don't understand what happened, either, but it wasn't your fault; you were provoked. They were torturing you and you reacted in self defense. They're all still alive, okay? You saved them."

"What if it happens again? What if, next time, I can't save them?" I asked her, my voice coming off harsher than I intended. I took a breath to calm myself. "What if I hurt you or Kenzi? I could've killed you!"

"But you didn't. Even though you weren't aware of what was happening, you didn't hurt me, which means you can learn to control it."

I wanted so much to believe her, but I couldn't help the feelings of anxiety and fear.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and turned away from her, heading to the door, "I have to get Kenzi."

Lauren

I had forgotten Tamsin was with Kenzi and when Bo and I walked in, the first thing we heard was, "Take that, you dirty robot skank!"

"Dude, what the hell?! You just shot me!" Kenzi yelled.

"Well, get out of my way then- Shit!"

"Ha! Karma's a bitch."

They both looked away from the television at the sound of the door closing.

"You guys look like shit," Tamsin deadpanned and Kenzi dropped her controller, standing up.

She walked over to Bo, "What's going on?"

"We have to go," Bo answered. "Pack whatever you need, I don't know how long we'll be gone."

The younger girl nodded and turned without a word, rushing to the stairs with Bo behind her.

"How come whenever I see you, you have a new injury?" Tamsin asked as she came up to me. "Who was it this time? Bounty hunters? Under Fae? Santa Claus?"

I realized she was referring to the fact that my hand was still covered in blood. "It's another one of those long stories... Thanks for staying with Kenzi, but as you can see, we kind of have a situation. You should probably go."

"You still haven't told me why they're after you, and seeing as I no longer have a truck because of it, I think I deserve to know."

"Listen, I'm sorry you got involved in this but the less you know, the better."

"Where are you going to go?"

"That has yet to be determined. Maybe the Dal."

"You realize that's the first place whoever is after you will look, right?"

"It's sanctuary. We'll be safe there."

"Yea," Tamsin rolled her eyes, "for a day. Two, at the most."

"We'll be fine, but thanks for your concern."

Bo came down the stairs and started hurrying around the living room and kitchen, stuffing various things into a Duffel bag.

"I think I might know a place you can go where they definitely won't find you."

Overhearing what Tamsin said, Bo stopped her rummaging and turned to the blonde, "Why do you want to help us? We barely know eachother."

She did have a point; Tamsin's behaviour was a little odd. Most people would take off in a heartbeat after nearly being killed for their association with someone they hardly knew. At least, I imagined the sane ones would.

Tamsin crinkled her nose and looked up at the ceiling in a mock pensive expression. "I don't know. I guess I'm developing a soft spot for your warmth and kind words," she said sarcastically.

"Right," Bo rolled her eyes, "Well if you don't mind, we have things to do."

Tamsin sighed and shook her head, "What's that saying? Don't look a gift horse in the mouth? Which I don't really get because, what are you supposed to do? Accept it and hope soldiers don't crawl out of it later and kill you in your sleep? I don't understand humans."

Bo and I just stared at her and then glanced at eachother, not sure what to say.

"Anyway," the blonde continued, "It's safer than the Dal and I think that since I kind of saved your life earlier, you should give me a little more credit."

I had to agree that she hadn't given us any reason to not trust her. Bo must have thought the same because she was the first to speak, "I don't have a lot of room in my car."

"I'll take the SUV, you'll be able to pack more if you want," she offered.

I waited as Bo seemed be deciding what to do. Finally she shrugged, "Fine. Where are we going?"


	37. Chapter 37

Lauren

We'd been following Tamsin for over two hours. It was just me and Bo in her car since Kenzi had elected to go in the SUV with Tamsin.

The blonde had informed us she had a cabin up north that would be ideal for hiding out. Bo was adamant about not going to the Dal, so when she said she thought the cabin sounded like a better idea, I didn't argue. I had still been confused about why Tamsin wanted to help us. But that was until Bo had told me about how she believed Tamsin might be a reincarnation of her past life best friend, Rachel. Of course, we wouldn't know if this was true until we asked Castor about it.

If Bo's theory did turn out to be right, though, it only brought more questions. The main ones being, Why were we all connected? Were we destined to find eachother in every lifetime? And what the hell had happened back then that could affect our lives thousands of years later?

We had both been quiet for some time now. I was lost in thoughts about our past selves, and Bo... well, after the incident with the Ash and her loss of control, she was just lost. I could see the confliction on her face, though she rarely turned to look at me. I didn't want to push her to talk about it, but I couldn't stand her shutting me out.

I reached over and rested my hand on her thigh. She looked at me with a small smile, which I returned, before bringing her attention back to the road.

The land around us seemed less and less populated the further we drove. At this point, we only passed three houses or buildings every forty miles.

I watched the SUV ahead of us pull onto a dirt road and Bo did the same. We drove down the bumpy, winding road, trees lining either side. It was calming to be so far away from the city. I had barely been away from the Light compound in the five years I had worked there. Being out here reminded me of when I would go camping with my parents when I was young. I smiled to myself and then turned to Bo.

"Did you ever go camping when you were younger?" I asked Bo.

She raised her eyebrows, "Of course. I was a girl scout."

I laughed, "Really?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

I was happy to see a smile on her face. "No, I just didn't think you were the type."

She shrugged, "My mom signed me up. It was fun, though. I learned how to start a fire and sell cookies. And I rocked that uniform."

"I'm sure you did," I said, shaking my head.

"I did! If I still had it, I'd show you." She was quiet for a minute, having gone off somewhere in her head. "Actually, I wish I did still have it. It'd be great for role-playing," she said, sending a look my way.

"That would be so wrong," I told her, laughing at the thought.

She tilted her head, "Okay, doctor," she drawled, "What about a sexy nurse to order around?"

I felt myself blush. I couldn't deny that that particular scenario had crossed my mind before.

"Huh," Bo said when I remained quiet, "I'll have to keep that in mind."

I bit my lip and nodded, "You should."

The SUV made another turn that Bo almost missed because her thoughts were obviously elsewhere.

"Jesus, you make it hard to concentrate," she said with a laugh.

"It's not my fault that you decided to turn an innocent question about camping into a conversation about role play fantasies."

She nodded, "Touche."

The sun had set and it was dark outside as we pulled into the clearing where the cabin was.

"Can't get more secluded than this, I guess," Bo observed as she parked the car behind the SUV.

The cabin was bigger than I'd expected and I couldn't help but wonder why Tamsin owned such a place.

We got out of the car as Kenzi and Tamsin walked over.

"I'll give you a tour and then Kenzi and I were going to go get some necessities. There's a town about an hour west of here," Tamsin said. "Do you guys want to come?"

"Um, I'm really tired actually," Bo said and turned to me. "What about you? Aren't you tired?"

The way she looked at me, I knew 'tired' stood for something completely different. I had to control my urge to laugh as I replied, "Absolutely exhausted."

Kenzi shrugged, missing the hidden meaning, "Well, I'm friggin' starving, so let's get this shit over with."

Bo

The cabin had three bedrooms which was perfect since Lauren and I would obviously be sharing a room. After Tamsin turned on the power, she showed us the two bathrooms, the kitchen and living room. There was barely any furniture in the house and it was dusty, signaling that she hadn't used it recently.

As soon as we brought all of our things in, Kenzi and Tamsin headed out, taking my car because the smashed bumper would draw attention from the locals.

Once they were gone, Lauren and I went to the room we'd claimed during the tour. It was nothing special, just a queen-size bed and a dresser, but it's not like we needed anything else.

We didn't waste anytime after Lauren insisted on changing the sheets on the bed. By the end of the task, we were somehow both naked and on the bed in a deep make out session; Lauren on top of me, her hands exploring my body as mine did the same to hers.

She sat up, straddling my legs and I followed suit, pressing her to me as she brought her lips down on mine once more. My hands travelled to her breasts and I lightly traced the curves.

"There's something I want to try," I told her, almost of of breath after pulling out of the kiss.

She raised her eyebrows, "What would that be?"

I smiled and moved my hand down between her legs, pressing my thumb gently against her clit and resting the tip of my finger at her entrance. She shuddered and licked her lips.

"I want to see if this really works," I said before sending a pulse of energy into her.

Her arms tightened around my neck as her eyes slammed shut and she rested her forehead against mine. "Oh, fuck, yes," she moaned, rolling her hips to gain more contact. "Yes, it works. It definitely works."

I couldn't help the soft laugh that escaped my lips at her reaction. 'Thank you, Anna', I thought.

I let my finger slip all the way inside her. I had wanted to take this slow, but I was craving her so badly and reasoned that we had the rest of our lives to go slow. And I could tell she thought so, too, by the increasing pace of her rocking against my hand.

I added another finger, feeling her tighten around me. She caught my lips in another kiss as I thrust into her, her hips meeting each stroke and my thumb brushing her clit every so often, eliciting whimpers of pleasure.

"I'm so close," she breathed against my lips, "Do it, now."

I continued as I had been, bringing my free hand to the back of her neck.

This was it. I would finally be able to taste her.

With a few last thrusts, I curled my fingers inside and her and rubbed my thumb hard against her swollen nub, sending a strong pulse of energy through her. I began to take her chi as she screamed her release.

It sent shockwaves throughout my body as all my senses became heightened, an incredible feeling of ecstasy taking me over. I was drowning in the intensity of it, barely able to stop myself. But I did, reluctantly, and felt the full extent of my arousal hit me as we fell backwards onto the bed.

Lauren didn't waste a second, her lips attacking mine once more. I was shocked at the fact that she didn't seem to need any time to recover from my feeding. I put my hands on her shoulders, pushing her away gently to make sure she was alright.

She looked down at me with concern, "Are you okay?"

I stared up at her in awe, unable to find my voice. Her aura had changed to a brilliant halo of white light.

"Bo? What is it?"

I swallowed and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Your aura... it's white."

She gave me a confused look, "What does that mean?"

I thought back to Anna's memory of Zoie; how she'd never seen anything like it before. I didn't understand it then, but as I looked into Lauren's eyes now, I knew. She had given herself to me completely.

I could feel the tears glistening in my eyes as I whispered, "It means you're mine."

I didn't give her a chance to react, pulling her down and kissing her hard.

She shifted her leg to rest between mine and I pressed my center against her thigh, groaning into her mouth.

"Oh, God, please. I need you inside me," I panted, the aching was becoming almost unbearable.

She quickly complied, her hand sliding down my stomach. I raised my hips as it reached its destination. She thrust two fingers into me before pulling out and moving them to draw circles around my clit.

I broke away from her lips and cried out, bucking my hips, trying to hold back, wanting it to last longer.

Her lips were now on my neck, her tongue coming out to taste the sensitive skin.

I felt her breath on my ear, "Do it, again. I can handle it."

I didn't need anymore reassurance than that. When her lips met mine, I fed from her, taking less this time but getting the same effect, except, it seemed stronger, if that was possible.

I arched my back as the first wave of the most intense orgasm of my life took hold of me. I was literally seeing stars; her fingers were inside of me and I didn't even know when that happened. All I knew was that everywhere she touched felt so incredibly good. My whole body was quaking, my voice becoming hoarse from the screaming her name and God's.

When the uncontrollable waves of pleasure began to subside, it took a few minutes for me to stop shaking and open my eyes. "Holy shit," I rasped, unable to think of anything else to say.

Lauren looked down at me, amusement in her eyes. "I don't really know what happened, but I think it's safe to say that I just rocked your world."

"Yea... and then some," I laughed, agreeing wholeheartedly with the candid comment.

"I love you," she whispered softly before leaning down and kissing me slow and sweet. When she pulled away, she added, "And I'm ready for round two whenever you are."

I laughed some more and flipped us over so that I'd be on top this time. "You are so on."

As I began my assualt on her neck, I couldn't help but think, despite everything that was wrong in my life right now, I was the luckiest Succubus- hell, the luckiest woman- ever.

Lauren

It must've been hours before we found ourselves in Limbo.

"I don't even remember going to sleep," Bo said, standing up and extending her hand to me. I took it and she pulled me to my feet.

"Well, one second you were talking about needing to eat, and the next, you were passed out," I told her and kept hold of her hand.

"Oh... Sorry," she said, giving me a sheepish look.

I smiled at her embarrassment, "It's okay. I think we both needed the break, anyway."

She nodded and looked around, "Um, isn't someone missing here? Where's Castor?"

I bit my lip as I saw that we were the only ones in the concrete room, besides a single chair. Looking closer, I saw the crimson stone resting on the seat.

I walked over and Bo followed.

"Are we just supposed to go without him being here?" she asked.

"That doesn't seem like a good idea. He's the one who pulls us out."

"But why else would he leave it? He obviously brought us here, so maybe he has something to do and he'll be back in time to wake us up."

I shrugged, "Well, I wish he would've left a note, at least. I mean, he's told me before that he has other things to keep track of besides us, but this seems... odd."

"Maybe he found out something about the bounty hunters?"

"It's a possibility."

"Either way, he's the one who needs us, so he won't put us in danger. We're probably just over thinking this."

"Maybe..." I was still a little skeptical about the situation, but Bo was right. We were too important for him to put our lives at risk.

"We'll be fine," she said, picking up the stone.

I bit back my reply. I didn't think this was the smartest thing to do, but my curiosity was outweighing my logic at this point.

I nodded before putting my hand over the stone.

Zoie

I lay in my bed as the bright morning sun peaked through the windows of my room. Another night had passed and I hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. My body was exhausted and getting up didn't seem like an option. I doubted that I'd be able to move, even if I wanted to. I closed my eyes and, as I had done almost constantly for the past ten days, I thought back to the day that everything had gone wrong.

Two months ago...

It had been a week since my father died; a week since he named me the Judge of Aethevia.

"How are you going to wear your hair for the ceremony?"

'Oh, and a week since I lost my mind', I thought to myself as I looked into the mirror, seeing the reflection of the woman sitting on my bed behind me.

I had gone crazy, it was the truth. Somehow, everything that happened on that day a week ago had been too much for my mind. Now, I was seeing hallucinations of my mother, who had been dead for twenty years.

I ignored her comment and continued fiddling with my make up. I didn't have much time before Castor's inauguration ceremony began.

"I think you'd look beautiful with braids. You used to love when I braided your hair, remember?"

Most people would be thrilled to see their loved one who had died. When I was younger, I would've given anything to see her like I did now. At first, when she came to me, the first time she spoke and I realized it was her, I had cried from happiness. But I wasn't a little girl anymore; I knew there was no possible way she was real. The happiness quickly faded as I came to terms with the fact that I was imagining things and that I was, indeed, insane. My sickness had manifested itself into the form of my mother, who would show up whenever she pleased and start talking to me. It was extremely hard to concentrate when others were around because she would talk over them, and I had already slipped up a few times, speaking to her in front of Castor, which would cause him to give me worried or confused looks. So, now, even when I was alone, I refused to acknowledge anything she said and did my best to just ignore her.

There was a knock on my door and I stood up to answer it.

"Hey, Zo," my friend, Kes, greeted me before pushing her way into the room.

"Hey. What are you doing here?"

"My mother wanted to know if you needed any help with getting ready," she answered, referring to Tenia.

Though Kes called Tenia her mother, they weren't related by blood. Kes's story was a sad one. She was mortal, but she wasn't a criminal; her real mother was, though. I'm not sure what her mother did, but when she had been imprisoned she was already pregnant. My father hadn't known this; so when he took the woman's abilities, he also took the unborn child's. He allowed her to give birth and unfortunately, because the woman had been made mortal, she had died in the process. Having an innocent, mortal newborn on his hands, my father asked the servants if any of them would like to raise the child. I was about six years old at the time and Tenia was something like my caretaker because my mother was already ill at that point. Tenia had readily volunteered, accepting the child as her own and naming her Ksenia, though we called her 'Kes' for short. That had been about twenty-two years ago.

"I don't think I need any help, but tell her thanks," I said.

She studied my face and brushed a blonde lock of hair behind her ear, "We're still friends, right?"

I gave her a confused look, "Of course, we are. Why wouldn't we be?"

"Well, now that you're 'Lady Justice', you seem different."

I sighed, "It's just been a lot to handle. I wasn't expecting this to happen. But I'm still the same person."

"Good. Cause I just have to say, your make up looks terrible."

I laughed and nodded, "I know. Any chance you can fix it?"

She looked me up and down, letting out a low whistle, "This is gonna take a while."

When she'd finally finished, I looked a lot better, I had to admit. We'd made plans to meet in the gardens after the ceremony so we could celebrate with our friend Jace, who was one of the guards. Even though I didn't really see any reason to celebrate, I looked forward to just being with my friends and hopefully distracting myself for a while.

Soon, I was standing in the throne room beside Siamon as we watched Castor being presented to the large gathering of Fae. Vessus had just made his long speech, glorifying my father's reign as king, and now it was time to crown Castor, making his title official. I looked out over the cheering congregation, faking a small, elegant smile. I was finally starting to act like a royal, I suppose, putting on a show for the people. My real feelings couldn't be displayed; they couldn't know I felt terrified and nauseous as the time when I would be announced to them as judge inched closer. I watched Vessus put the crown atop Castor's head. The crowd roared with excitement, welcoming its new king. They had yet to know that the power had been split and I feared their reaction.

The room went silent as Castor began to speak, but I wasn't paying attention. I was too busy staring in disbelief at a face I hadn't expected to see.

Anna stared back at me and I couldn't read her expression. I swallowed, struggling to keep the smile on my face. How did she get in here? This ceremony wasn't supposed to be open to common people.

Siamon nudged me and I turned to look at him.

"That's our cue," he said, holding out his elbow. I took it, wordlessly, and he lead me to the center of the platform. I let go when we reached Castor and Siamon gave us both a bow, before stepping away.

I stood beside Castor, facing the audience, as he said, "By decree of my father, the late King Rusten, I present the Judge of Aethevia-"

"I'm so proud of you," my mother whispered in my ear, startling me. Luckily, I was able to keep my composure.

Vessus was now kneeling in front of me and the rest of the Fae followed suit.

In his hands he held a jewelled sceptre, which he raised to me. Trying to stop the trembling in my hand, I reached out and accepted the object that symbolized my new responsibility. I lifted the sceptre into the air and the Fae kept their heads bowed in reverence for a few seconds until Vessus proclaimed, "Rise and behold the King and Judge of Aethevia!"

The reaction didn't seem to change; they still cheered, though I saw confusion on some faces.

My eyes met Anna's once more. She looked at me with her mouth slightly open, obviously in shock.

"Who is she?" my mother asked.

I pretended not to hear her.


	38. Chapter 38

sorry about the delay, stuff's been crazy. im still writing this on my phone lol so since i dont know how to italicize, im just going to say this is a continuation of zoie's flashback (i know, a flashback within a flashback - confusing, right? sorry about that.) thanks for all the reviews, theyre very much appreciated!

Zoie

With the ceremony having ended, I found myself back in my room, positioned in front of the mirror once more. I couldn't stand to look at my pale reflection so I buried my face in my hands.

After the announcement of my new title, Anna had disappeared into the crowd and I hadn't seen her again. Part of me was grateful for it, yet a bigger part of me was wishing I could have spoken to her. Though, I knew that if I had the opportunity to explain myself, I wouldn't know what to say. Maybe it was for the best, I tried to reason, but it didn't shake the sinking feeling in my heart. I couldn't lie to myself; even though we had only known eachother for a short time, she had some kind of hold over me. Hurting her like I did was something I knew I would always regret. If only I had taken the high road after I found out I was to marry Siamon, and not slept with her, maybe this wouldn't be affecting me so much.

There was a knock at my door, startling me from my thoughts. Looking up into the mirror, I realized that there were a few tears on my cheeks that I hadn't noticed falling. I quickly grabbed a towel to fix my running make up before heading to the door.

I was expecting to see Kes, or maybe Castor, but couldn't hide the look of shock when it turned out to be Siamon.

He gave me a tentative smile, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I just wanted to see if maybe we could talk for a minute?"

It had been a week since we both found out about the betrothal but we had been mutually avoiding being alone together so that we wouldn't have to speak of it. I guessed that we'd put it off long enough.

I nodded instead of verbally answering because I didn't trust my voice at the moment, and opened the door wider to let him in.

He walked over to my bed, taking a seat on the edge, and I sat down next to him, neither of us attempting to look the other in the face and focusing our attention to the floor.

After almost a minute of awkward silence, he shook his head then spoke, "I don't really know what to say, Zo. I never imagined we would be in this... position."

He had voiced my exact thoughts and I nodded in agreement. There really wasn't anything I could think to say.

Sighing at my silence, he continued, "I realize that I'm getting the better part of this deal, but I need you to know that I will honor and protect you with my life. I know, right now, that is probably of little comfort to you, but we've been friends for so long... I don't want this to ruin that."

I swallowed and looked up to meet his eyes. Siamon was a good man, perhaps a little too much of a flirt, but he had a good heart, nonetheless. Resenting him for something that was out of his control was unfair, yet I couldn't help feeling that way.

"Neither do I," I finally said. "I don't want it to change anything, but it does. And if we're being honest, I still need time to accept this. With everything happening at the moment," I trailed off, weakly, shaking my head. "I just need time. I hope you can understand."

He nodded, "I can." We fell into silence once more before he broke it, clearing his throat and changing the subject, "I'm leaving to go to Reysha for a prisoner transfer. A Fion set fire to his neighbor's crops and, unfortunately, it spread to his neighbor's home, killing the man, his wife and his two children; a six year old boy and a teenage girl."

My stomach twisted as I imagined the children's faces and also the guilt that Fae must feel. "That's horrible," I whispered.

"It is," Si agreed. "I was told his would be your first trial."

"The Fae will want him put to death."

Si shook his head, "Death would be too merciful, I would think. They will expect you to take his ability."

I felt my heart speed up, the reality of my responsibilities as judge hitting me again. It still hadn't really sunk in, but after this- my first time- it would be real. I feared I wouldn't be able to go through with it.

Siamon stood up, "Castor will be coming with me. He wants to stop in Sulstin and supervise the investigation into what caused your father's death. We'll most likely be gone only a week, but we'll keep you updated by courier should that change."

"He was just crowned and he's already leaving the palace? That's an awful idea, especially since he's going to the place where father's illness started." I was taken aback by my brother's irrational decision. Was he really that stupid? I knew I had no right to question his choices, however. Despite my position as judge, he was still king and therefore was an authority unto himself. That didn't quell the bad feeling I had in my gut, though.

"He will be under constant guard, I promise you. My father will be staying at the palace with you, so if you should need anything, just ask him," Si explained. "I must be going, we leave in an hour. We'll talk more when I get back?"

"Yeah," I said, knowing there was no use arguing, and he bowed his head, turning to leave. "Be safe, Si. Both of you."

Giving me a soft smile, he nodded, "You have my word, Princess."

"He is a such a sweet boy," my mother said after Si had left. "I'm glad you will marry him. He will be a good husband for you."

I closed my eyes and hung my head. "You're back. Great." I realized I was breaking my own rule by replying to her comment but didn't care at this point. "Why him? Why did you have to choose for me? And why the hell doesn't anyone think I can take care of myself?! You want someone to lecture? Go bother Castor." I got up and grabbed my cloak, walking out of the room before she could say anything else.

The dramatic exit was futile, however; as I hurried down the hall, throwing my cloak around my shoulders, I heard her following me.

"Don't be so stubborn. You know I love you and your father and I wouldn't have made this arrangement if it hadn't been to your benefit. You're a smart, strong woman and I am so proud of you, but you've yet to experience the real world, my love. I know that is mostly my fault; after my death, your father was too protective of you, keeping you locked inside the palace walls and forbidding you to leave. I wish things could have been different, that I could've stayed with you, taught you how to rule beside your brother. But I am here now, and if you would allow me to help, maybe this all wouldn't seem so bleak."

I bit my lip to keep from answering her. I wanted to scream at her for being right; I truly didn't have any idea how to rule. No one prepared me or warned me of my fate. It was just thrown on me out of nowhere and I was expected to know how to handle it all without any guidance. It wasn't fair, and not for the first time, I wished I was someone else.

I made it outside without speaking and my mother hadn't said another word. I didn't look back, hoping that she had disappeared and I would have some reprieve while spending time with Kes and Jace.

"Zoie," she said and I groaned inwardly. "I hope you will soon see that what I've done was out of love for you and nothing else."

"Enough!" I whispered harshly. "Please, I don't want to hear it, right now."

"Uh... Zo?"

I had trained my eyes on the ground but looked up suddenly to see Kes standing a few feet away, a confused expression on her face.

"Kes... Hey," I mumbled, utterly mortified that I had once again been caught talking to myself. I silently cursed my luck.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

I sighed and pleaded to her, "Can we please pretend you did not see that and you go get us some wine? I could really use a drink."

Obviously catching the desperation in my voice, she nodded, "Say no more. I'm on it. Be back in a minute." With that, she started for the palace.

I took a moment to glance at my surroundings, relieved to see that I was actually alone.

When Kes returned a few minutes later, she was carrying four bottles of wine and three mugs. I grabbed two of the bottles and we wordlessly walked into the gardens, settling on a bench at the edge so that Jace would be able to find us easily.

I didn't bother with a mug, opening a bottle and taking a long drink from it. Kes studied me as I drank, still looking concerned.

"I know you don't want to talk about it, and that's fine. But you know I'm here for you, right?" she said softly.

"I know," I told her. "Thank you."

She opened her own bottle and clinked it against mine. "Anytime," she said before bringing it to her lips. I mirrored her action.

"So, where's Jace? Shouldn't he be off duty by now?"

She shrugged, "He's the new guy so the others treat him like shit. They're always late to take over and he won't stand up to them. No offence, but your guards are assholes."

"Maybe I should talk to them, then."

"Uh, no. That's, like, the worst possible thing you could do. You'll ruin his reputation before he even has one," she rolled her eyes and took another swig.

"I guess you're right."

Kes looked over at me. "Of course, I am," she said as though such things didn't even need to be voiced.

I shook my head and laughed a real laugh, already starting to feel the effect of the wine.

I knew I should be seeing Castor off but I wasn't going to. If he wanted to be reckless, that was his problem. I had enough on my shoulders as it was, I didn't need him bringing me down further.

After a few more gulps of wine, I told Kes that Anna had been at the ceremony.

"How did she get in? I live here and I wasn't even allowed to go!" Kes sulked.

"I don't know. It is strange, though. Anyway, that's not the point."

"And what is the point? I don't know why you're making such a huge deal about this thing with Si. You're the freaking judge now, Zo. If you want a little something on the side, that's your business. And if you really think Siamon is going to be faithful... well, that's just ridiculous. This is Si we're talking about and his history with women is sketchy at best."

"First off, I would never ask Anna to be my mistress, she deserves better than that-"

"Zoie, the girl's a stripper. Mistress to royalty would be like, ten steps up. Just saying."

"Not funny, Kes," I said, giving her a disapproving look. She only shrugged, not seeming to see anything wrong with her comment. "Second," I continued, "what kind of judge would I be if I couldn't keep my own marriage vows? The Fae would think me irresponsible and not trust my decision making."

"With your shiny new power, I really don't think they'll risk making a scandal out of it," she reasoned, apparently having no trouble discrediting every excuse I came up with.

I sighed and drank some more, staying silent. It was a few minutes before Kes said anything.

"Who is that?" She asked and I followed her gaze to see a figure in a light blue cloak slowly walking across the grounds.

The sun was fading and, at first, I thought the light was playing tricks on my eyes. Then I questioned if I was hallucinating again, but realized that Kes could see her, too.

"It's Anna," I whispered, standing up.

"Shit, Zo. That is one stunning stripper," she said, getting off the bench, too.

"Shut up, Kes."

"What? It's a compliment."

I didn't answer back. Instead, I decided to start walking, my heart feeling like it was about to beat out of my chest. I closed the distance, stopping when Anna paused a few feet away and curtsied, her head bowed, causing her dark curls to fall around her face.

"Your Honor," she said softly, holding the position for several seconds before straightening up.

I prayed for my voice not to fail me. "That's really not necessary, Anna."

"It kind of is," she countered with a hesitant smile.

I knew I was staring at her, but couldn't help it. Being this close to her, which I hadn't thought would ever happen again, made me forget about the past week.

Kes, who I had completely forgotten was standing beside me, cleared her throat.

"Oh, right," I muttered, snapping myself out of the trance. "Anna, this is Kes."

Anna curtsied again, "Pleasure to meet you, miss."

Kes let out a snort of laughter, "That's sweet, honey, but trust me, I'm far from royal."

Anna smiled at her, "Well, that makes two of us." She turned her attention back to me, "The guard you told that I was welcome here... Jace, he, uh, let me in. I hope that's alright," she said.

I swallowed, "Yes, of course. It's fine."

She visibly relaxed at my words and I felt a twinge of guilt, seeing how scared she seemed to be.

"Speaking of Jace," Kes cut in, "I'm going to go see him. I'll be back in a little." She gave a mock curtsy, "Nice meeting you, Anna."

Anna nodded with a laugh, "You, too."

Kes started for the palace, sending me a wink from behind the other woman's back. I controlled the urge to roll my eyes at her.

"So," Anna said, uncertainly, "I'm really sorry about your father. He was a great king."

I gave her a weak smile, "Thank you. He was." I looked around the grounds, remembering Castor's warning about being seen with her. The last thing I wanted to do was compromise her safety. "Walk with me?"

She bit her lip, then nodded, "Okay."

We headed into the gardens, walking towards the center where there were walls of trees and various plants that would hide us from view. Once I felt we were suitably shielded, I paused and turned to my silent companion, knowing this was my opportunity to set things right.

"I'm sorry about last week, I-"

"It's okay," she interrupted, "I understand."

She was standing only inches from me, her eyes burning into mine. "You do?"

She nodded, "Your father had just died and you were suddenly the new judge; it would be a lot for anyone to cope with. I'm not saying it didn't hurt, but I do understand."

"I'm sorry... that I hurt you. I never intended to, I hope you know that. I realize I didn't go about it the best way."

She licked her lips and looked away from my eyes, but didn't move. "Why didn't you say anything about being next in line to be judge?"

"I didn't know."

She furrowed her eyebrows and met my gaze once more, "You didn't know? How is that possible?"

"No one told me. The last thing my father did before he died was transfer his ability to me."

She seemed to be processing this new information and I took the moment to revel in our close proximity, running my eyes over her face, her lips, and then lower. It was almost painful not being able to have her, especially since I had already had her and knew just how amazing it was. The ache spread throughout my body and I felt myself getting lost in the memories of those perfect hours we had spent together, not thinking how my sudden rush of desire would affect her.

I saw the blue flash in her eyes and almost stopped breathing. I knew I should step away from her but I couldn't bring myself to actually do it. I was frozen, her eyes locking me there and I had no will to escape their hold.

"I know this might seem crazy," she whispered, her face moving closer to mine so that I could feel her breath against my lips, "but I've missed you."

"It's not crazy," I told her with a slight shake of my head.

Her movement was swift but felt like it all happened so slow, yet so fast, a million thoughts racing through my mind as she closed the distance. When her lips finally met mine, however, all the thoughts, questions, and doubts disappeared like they had never existed, like they never plagued me. The world stopped as her tongue ran across my lips and her hands came up to either side of my neck, and all my responsibilities were forgotten. For a blissful few seconds, she was all I knew; her hands, her tongue, the way she felt against me.

Reality came crashing back when I realized what was happening. The word 'stop' repeating in my head until I felt myself regain control. I pressed my hands to her shoulders and pushed her away. "Anna, wait..." I said when the kiss was broken. "We can't do this."

She stared at me in confusion, "Why not?"

I couldn't bare to look her in the eyes. I stepped back and focused on the ground, feeling her hands fall away from me. I had to tell her the truth. "I... I've been promised to Siamon."

There was only silence, so I chanced a look at her, immediately regretting it.

She stood there with a blank expression before letting out a humorless laugh and shaking her head. "Gods... I am such an idiot." She walked over to a bench and sat down.

"You are not an idiot."

She nodded, "Oh, no, believe me, I am. This whole week I've been telling myself you were just upset by your father's death and that's why you ended it. And then, I find out that you're the new judge... but that wasn't enough of a hint apparently, so I stupidly show up here, and now, you tell me that you're betrothed?!" She laughed again, "And I'm guessing you knew about this before we had sex, right?"

"I only found out that day... before we..." I trailed off.

Something seemed to occur to her in that moment as she stared back at me. "That's why you were crying," she stated quietly and stood up. I watched her, my nerves on edge as she approached me with a solemn look on her face. "If you don't want to marry him, then don't."

I shook my head, "I have to. I gave my blood oath."

My explanation didn't shake her determination. "Screw your blood oath."

I felt my eyes go wide in shock at her words. "I can't do that."

"Yes," she said firmly, "You can. Zoie, you are the most powerful Fae in Aethevia now. How can you expect to be a great ruler if you can't even stand up for yourself?" I opened my mouth to reply but she continued before I could, "Your father is dead, there's nothing he can do. And from what little time I spent with Siamon, I can tell you that if he's actually for this marriage, it's only about power. So just call it off." She was back in front of me now, her hand grasping mine. "I'm not telling you to do it for me. Do it for you. You don't deserve to be so miserable."

I hung my head, feeling the tears escape my eyes. Why couldn't I be strong like she believed so greatly that I was? I had been hoping all week- actually, my whole life- for someone to recognize that I could take care of myself. Yet, now that I was face-to-face with her, I'd never felt so incredibly weak. "I don't think I can," I admitted, ashamed.

"Then I'll help you to see that you can, if you'll let me," she said, squeezing my hand. "I know this might seem crazy," she repeated with a smile, "but I feel it, and I know you do, too."

I looked up at her, not understanding, "Feel what?"

Her lips caught mine in a lingering kiss and her hand came to rest over my heart. She pulled away and whispered, "You're already mine."

I swallowed and knew she felt my heart pounding at her words. "It's not crazy."


	39. Chapter 39

Zoie

Present day

I found myself beginning to doze off as I remembered that day. It was crazy, honestly, how that moment with Anna changed me. It was as if something inside me clicked, like a missing part of me was finally filled and it gave me the idea that everything would be okay. I resolved that, once Castor and Siamon returned, I would tell them I wasn't going to go through with the marriage. I would forsake my blood oath and follow my heart, taking my life into my own hands. It was the moment I truly grasped the reality of my position and power. If I wanted, I could take any Fae's ability, including the king's.

Though, that wasn't my plan, exactly, but the mere threat of it if things got out of hand seemed like enough leverage to overturn the decision.

Unfortunately, I realize now that such things rarely work out for the best.

Anna had gone home after our talk. I had explained everything; about my father, his sickness, and Castor's warning that she could be in danger if she was seen with me. With a promise to keep in touch with her as I figured out how to quell or avoid suspicion, she had left. But not before a drawn out goodbye kiss that had left me warm throughout the rest of the night while I drank with Kes and Jace.

I still remembered everything about that day and the following ones so vividly.

Fours days after the inauguration...

"You haven't written her back yet?" Kes asked, her light blue eyes impossibly wider than usual.

We were both lying on my bed, utterly bored and talking about the letter Anna had sent two days ago through her friend, Rachel, since I had yet to find a safe way to see her. It was a short message but everytime I read it, I couldn't help smiling. Though I had yet to find a solution to our current dilemma, I wasn't close to giving up and when I reread her words, I knew I had something worth fighting for.

"I don't want to write her back until I have something of a plan. I need her to know I'm serious about this," I explained before sitting up.

Kes sighed and closed her eyes. "Yes, that's a great idea, Zo. Leaving her hanging like that will definitely prove your commitment," she muttered. "Have you heard anything from Castor?"

"Not yet, but the journey to Reysha is rather long, so I'm sure I'll hear from him soon if they won't be back on time."

"I don't get why you can't just go see her, then. No one is around to stop you."

I rolled my eyes, "I already tried that, remember? Vessus insisted I take a whole cavalry of guards if I leave. Showing up at her home with them would only heighten suspicion."

"We could still sneak out, you know. I've done it tons of times before and never been caught."

I bit my lip, contemplating her offer. She had suggested this several times already and each time I was getting closer to accepting it.

There was a sharp knock at my door and I got up to answer it.

I was met with one of the guards. He bowed with a soft greeting then straightened up.

"Lord Vessus has requested your presence in his chambers, when you have a moment. He says it is important."

"Did he say what it was about?"

"I am afraid he did not, Your Honor."

I nodded, "Tell him I'll be there shortly."

He bowed again and left.

"Ooh, you sound so royal, now," Kes joked, getting up off the bed.

"I do?"

"No. Not really," she shook her head. "You're way too hesitant. You need more confidence and shit. We'll work on that."

"Thanks," I said sarcastically.

"Anytime!" she smiled. "Guess I'll be going, then. Have fun. And seriously, write her back before she finds another royal to have an illicit affair with!"

"Shit, Kes!" I hissed, quickly shutting the door, "Did you have to yell that?!"

"My gods, you are so paranoid, Zo. Relax. I'll see you later." She squeezed my shoulder softly before leaving the room.

A half hour later I was standing in Vessus' chambers while he disappeared into a small connecting room which he'd made into a study. When I'd arrived and he'd told me he had something to give me from my father, I was intrigued yet a little scared. So far, nothing good had come out of my father's death and I had no idea what to expect anymore.

He came back holding a stack of books and set them in front of me, on his desk.

"These are journals that were written by the past kings, your father being one of them. They hold information about trials and other matters that judges have had to handle. I suppose you could look to them as precedents," he explained.

I took in the large pile, seeing that some of them appeared to be very old.

"Your father asked that they be given to you instead of Castor, seeing as you were unaware of your future position," he said and then shook his head, "I did try to reason with him, Zoie. It wasn't planned for you to find out the way that you did... but when the sickness set it in... well, we had thought he would have more time..." he trailed off.

"I understand," I told him, knowing that he was only a king's advisor and that he didn't have any say in how my father handled his business.

Vessus nodded and came around the desk to stand in front of me. "I am honored to soon be able to call you my daughter. I couldn't ask for anyone more wonderful for my son."

I felt a wave of nausea come over me but quickly pushed it down. Vessus had always been kind to me and was the most loyal servant to my father, whom he'd grown up with. I wondered, if my father had been a woman, would his parents have made him marry Vessus?

There was no use wasting my time thinking about the possibility, however. My father had been born a man, which I guess made him able to make his own decisions.

"Thank you," I said, since it was the only thing I could say.

He smiled and nodded. "Well, I suppose you'll be wanting to look through these, so I won't keep you any longer."

"Yes, I'll do that, now," I said, picking up the journals, eager to leave. "Thank you, again, Vessus."

I hurried back to my room and set the journals on my bed, then just stared at them. Could I let myself hope that somewhere among these 'precedents' there was a solution to my situation with Anna and my unwanted marriage?

I began with a random journal from, I think, my great grandfather. It was almost two thousand years old and documented the last years of his reign. I read for hours, and drifted off during the fourth journal I picked up.

"Zoie."

I heard my name, unsure whether I had still been dreaming or not. The room was dark, except for the candle next to my bed. I hadn't remembered lighting it, though. I sat up and the journal that was resting on my chest fell to my lap. Grabbing the candle, I looked at the open page. Instead of writing, this page depicted some sort of map. I squinted, trying to read the tiny scrawlings at the top.

"Zoie," my mother said, and I looked up. "Come with me. I have something to show you."

Now I was sure I was still dreaming because I got up and followed her, unable to stop myself. She led me out of my room, through the familiar halls and down one of the servants' stairwells. We walked along the hall where Kes's and Tenia's chambers were located, and then turned down a hall which I recognized as a dead end.

But when we got to the stone wall at the end, my mother whispered, "Don't be frightened," before reaching for one of the stones that was slightly protruding, though it wasn't noticeable until it was pointed out.

She pressed it and, despite it's heaviness, the wall began to rotate silently, revealing a dark passage way.

She disappeared into the darkness and I stood there, my heart racing, unsure if I wanted to follow her. However, I was still in a dream-like trance and before I knew it, my feet were carrying me forward.

When I stepped through the door way, the wall closed behind me, leaving the small flame of my candle as the only source of light. I held it out in front of me and examined my surroundings.

I was in a narrow hall; the ceiling was barely three feet above me and the walls were stony and damp. The air smelled stale, yet there was a subtle breeze. My mother stood a few feet away, then turned and ventured deeper into the darkness. Terrified, yet not able to wake myself up, I followed her.

We walked for at least a half hour, passing several other tunnels that branched from the main one she was leading me through. Finally, we approached several stairs that led to a metal door.

My mother turned to me, producing a small, oddly shaped object. Holding it up to the door, she placed it against a perfect imprint of it. I realized it was a key. She turned it and pushed the door open. It creaked loudly, obviously not having been used in quite sometime.

We walked through it and entered what seemed to be a cellar of a house. With my candle, I could see shelves meant to stock wine and barrels for ale and water. She started up a wooden stairwell and we reached another door, which didn't need a key to open.

It was, indeed, a house. Though, there was only a table with two chairs as far as furniture went. I looked around seeing dust and cobwebs everywhere. I wanted to ask her what this place was, but I couldn't speak, the trance I was in made it so I couldn't even open my mouth.

Most likely, this was a safe house of sorts. A place that royals could escape to, should the palace be attacked.

She headed towards what I guessed was the front door and as I reached it, my eyes snapped open and I was back in my bed. It was morning.

I sat up, the journal flying onto the bed. I went to pick it up, but stopped as I realized there was something hard and cold clutched in my hand.

I looked at the object, my heart leaping into my throat. It was the key, which meant that what'd happened wasn't a dream and maybe, my hallucinations of my mother were there real thing, as impossible as it all seemed.

I jumped out of bed and changed my clothes before getting my cloak and running out the door.

It was early, but I knew Kes wouldn't be in her room. Instead, I went to the kitchen and easily found the girl sitting on on one of the counters, eating some sort of pastry and chatting loudly with Salni, the cook.

"Zo!" she called out with her mouth full when she saw me. She was always so hyper in the morning, which usually annoyed me, but today I was glad for it, seeing as I was too nervous to seek out the hidden passage alone.

"I need you to come with me. Right now," I told her.

She raised her eyebrows, "Can it wait? I'm kinda in the middle of something."

I looked at Salni, who rolled her eyes. Clearly, Kes's departure would not be mourned.

"No, it can't. C'mon."

She huffed and jumped off the counter, stuffing the last of her pastry in her mouth before grabbing two more and holding them up to Salni, "For the road," she explained and the woman just shook her head and ignored the theft.

We started off towards the passage way.

"So, what's the hurry?" Kes asked.

I knew if I tried to explain it, she wouldn't believe me, so I settled for a simple, "You'll see."

I could tell she was becoming more confused as we headed down the hall where she lived, then past it.

"Uh, Zo? You know this is a dead end, right?"

I didn't say anything, but walked up to the wall at the end and began searching for the protruding stone. When I saw it, I was hesitant to push it.

"Zoie?" Kes said, her nervousness clear in her voice. "What are you doing?"

I glanced at her and then pressed the stone, taking a few steps back as the wall rotated. My hands were shaking at my sides as Kes gasped.

"What the hell?" she whispered in shock. "How...?"

I swallowed and took out the candle, which I had stashed in my cloak, and the striking flint to light it. "I'll explain on the way. Hold this," I handed her the candle so I could light it.

"We're... going in there?" she whispered.

"Yes." I took the candle and grabbed her arm, pulling her through the door. It closed behind us and she jumped.

"Okay, this is really fucking creepy. You better tell me what's going on, right now!"

I sighed and started walking, "This is going to sound insane, but my mother... she showed me this place."

"When you were little?"

I shook my head, "No. Last night."

She stopped walking and I turned around to look at her.

"Zoie," she said, trying to keep calm, "your mom is dead."

"I know that! But she was in my dream and... Are we not standing in this passage way right now? Is this not real?" I asked her, hoping she'd see my point. "Whether it was actually her or not, doesn't matter. Please, Kes, can we keep walking?"

I could tell she wanted to argue, but she just nodded and we started walking again, in silence.

After a while, she finally asked, "Do you know where this leads?"

"A house."

"A house?" she said dubiously.

"Yes."

She sighed and didn't say anything else until we reached the steps that lead to the metal door. I climbed them and pulled out the key.

"Where'd you get that?"

I decided the question wasn't worth answering, and instead I pressed the key into the lock and turned it, walking into the cellar. She stayed standing on the other side.

"Are you coming?" I asked, not wanting to get into a fight, but the tension between us was getting thicker by the second.

She stepped warily through the door and then turned around to close it. "Shit!" She squeaked, startled by her own reflection when the other side of the door turned out to be a mirror. She put a hand over her chest, breathing hard. "You so owe me for this."

"I know," I told her, softly, before heading up the steps.

The house looked exactly the same, as had everything else. I blew out the candle to save it for the trip back since the house was lit by sunlight now.

"What is this place?"

"It's a house."

She looked over at me with an irritated expression, "Obviously, it's a house, Zoie! But what I mean is 'why is there a secret passage way leading to this freaking house'?!"

I shrugged, "Let's look around. Maybe we'll find out." I walked over to the stairs and looked back at her, "There might be some clues up here."

Upstairs there was a hall and a door on either side. I went to the first door and opened it slowly. It was a rather large bedroom, with a bed not much smaller than my own, and a desk with only a few pieces of parchment on it. I walked over and picked one up, but couldn't understand what it said. The symbols were foreign and unlike any writing I'd ever seen.

"What's that?" Kes asked, walking up beside me.

"I don't know." I put the strange paper down and looked at the others. They all bore the same script. Seeing nothing else notable or unusual in the room, I went to the other one.

It was lined with shelves full of jars containing various leaves and powders.

"Whoa," Kes said, walking further into the room. "Zoie... You said your mother led you here?"

I was still occupied with staring at the countless jars, "Yes," I answered absently. There were no labels on the jars to indicate what they contained.

"Was she a witch?" she whispered.

"I don't know. But... if these are hers, then..." I trailed off.

"Maybe it's medicine?"

"Or poison."

"Your mother was a good woman, though. At least, that's what my mother, and everyone else who knew her, says."

I nodded, "She was. As far as I know."

"Well, let's go look outside and see where we are, yea?" Kes said uneasily, obviously not wanting to stay in the room any longer. I couldn't blame her, so I agreed and we went back downstairs and to the door.

I was a little nervous to go outside because my dream had ended right before I could. But I was surprised to see that it was surrounded by trees, and there was a trail leading away from it. The house, on the outside, showed that it was neglected but there were no signs of forced entry. Perhaps it was too secluded for anyone to find.

"Want to see where it leads?" I asked Kes, nodding towards the trail.

She shrugged, "Sure. Not like I had any plans today. But if we get lost-"

"We won't get lost," I cut her off. "It's a pretty clear trail. Lets go."

After only a few minutes of walking, we reached civilization. I wasn't sure what part of the city we were in, but I knew Kes probably did, so I asked her.

"We're not far from the main market, actually. It didn't feel like the tunnel led this far out into the city, though." She squinted her eyes as the sun beat down on us. "Hey! Wait a second."

"What is it?"

She looked over at me with a wide smile, "We're out of the palace and Vessus has no idea. I know you want to go see Anna and we know where she lives. Going to see her would be so much better than a letter and, well, I was thinking that, despite that creepy room, maybe we could fix the place up a little and you two could... do what you do."

I couldn't help the huge smile on my face as I pulled Kes in for a hug. "I knew there was a reason why you're my best friend!"

"Oh, thanks," she said sarcastically, returning the hug. "It might take a few days, you know, to make it suitable. But you can at least tell her today so she doesn't think you've forgotten about her."

"You think she thinks that?!" I asked, horrified.

"Gods, Zoie. You're impossible. Let's just go."

It was a half hour walk to Anna's because Kes and I took the less crowded roads to avoid anyone recognizing me. When we finally reached her home, I was too excited and too nervous to knock.

"Maybe it was a bad idea to just show up. What if she's not here or she's busy?"

Kes rolled her eyes, "If she has the courage to randomly come to the palace then you should be able to drop by her place, too."

"But what if she has someone in there?"

"Well, let's hope she doesn't," Kes said, knocking on the door before I could stop her.

A few seconds later, a tall blonde woman answered, her green eyes widening as she stared at us. She hastily cutsied, "Your Honor."

"H-hello," I stuttered, not sure what to say. Luckily, Kes stepped in.

"Hi. I'm Kes," she held out her hand and the blonde hesitantly took it.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Rachel," she replied.

Hearing her name made me suddenly feel lighter as I realized she was Anna's friend and not her lover.

"Nice to meet you as well, Rachel," Kes said politely. "We're looking for Anna. Is she here?"

Rachel was still in shock as she nodded, "Yea- Yes, she is. Come in. I'll get her for you."

Kes nodded and pulled me inside with her while Rachel disappeared into what I assumed was Anna's room.

"She seems nice," Kes said softly.

I just nodded, still a little on edge. I looked around their home. It was small but nice. Everything was in order and clean; there was a pretty wooden table with intricate carvings on its legs with chairs that matched, and vase of beautiful flowers as a centerpiece. She must like flowers. I wished I had thought to get her some.

The door opened and Anna walked out, Rachel following her. She smiled at me, "Hey! What are you two doing here?"

"We were just in the neighborhood," Kes answered. "Your house is pretty, by the way."

Anna laughed, "Well, thank you. It's not much, but it's home." She looked over at me and I cursed my seeming inability to speak. The dress she was wearing was cut low and it took a lot to keep my eyes from travelling downwards. I knew my aura must've flared because she arched an eyebrow at me.

I cleared my throat, my face flushing. "Sorry if we interrupted anything. I was hoping to talk to you."

She shook her head, "No, I'm glad you came. I was getting a little worried since I hadn't heard from you."

I didn't have to look at Kes to know she was giving me an 'I told you so' look.

"You want to come to my room?" she asked before looking between Kes and Rachel, "You guys don't mind, do you?"

"Go for it" and "Not at all" crashed together as the other women answered, simultaneously.

"I was thinking of touring the neighborhood, anyway," Kes said. "Would you show me around, Rachel?"

The blonde seemed just as eager to clear the area as Kes. "Sounds great. Let's go." They both headed for the door. "We'll be back in an hour."

"You kids have fun!" Kes called over her shoulder before shutting the door behind her. I silently thanked her for her quick thinking.

"Thank the gods for best friends," Anna joked, stepping closer to me.

"I couldn't agree more."

"So," she said, "What did you want to talk about?"

She was so close to me now that her breasts were almost grazing mine, making me forget what I was supposed to tell her. "We only have an hour," I whispered. "Do you really want to spend it talking?"

She smiled, "No, but I guess it depends on what you're going to say."

"Fair enough. I wanted to tell you that I found a place for us to meet, so we can see eachother without you being in danger."

"Oh? And where's this place?"

"It's not far from here. I need to fix it up. It'll be a day or two, though."

She seemed to consider this before looking down and asking, "Are you still going to call off the marriage?"

"Of course, I am. Castor gets back in a few days and I'm going to tell him then. Why?"

She shrugged, "I just don't want you to get the wrong idea about me. I'm not going to be your mistress."

"I never thought you were, Anna. That's not what this is. I really care about you," I assured her, though I couldn't blame her for feeling that way. I should have thought this through before showing up. "This is only temporary, okay? If you'd rather wait, I understand. I guess I just didn't want to, but I will if it's what you want."

"It's not what I want. I needed to know you weren't backing out of this and I guess I let Rachel get to me."

"What do you mean?"

She sighed, her eyes meeting mine again, "She's my family, you know? She's trying to protect me and she told me not to get my hopes up about you. It's nothing personal to you, Zoie. She just doesn't want me to get hurt."

I swallowed, nodding, "I know. She's a good friend and that's what good friends do. I'm not offended," I told her, honestly. Kes was the same way and I would be, too, if the tables were turned. "But I want you to know that I wouldn't be here if I wasn't going to call off the marriage. I really need you to see that I wouldn't do that to you."

She continued to look into my eyes before smiling again, "I see it."

"That's good," I said, relieved, then added, "Cause I think we only have about fifty minutes, now."

She grinned mischievously, leaning in and giving me a quick kiss, "Well, would you like to see my bedroom ceiling?"

I stared at her, confused, "Why? Is it special or something?"

She laughed, "No, Zoie, it was a..." she trailed off, shaking her head, "Nevermind. Come on."


End file.
